It’s not every day you get to celebrate a 104th birthday.
For Mary Kowalchuk, that special day came on May 7 at Middlechurch Home in West St. Paul, where she marked the occasion with her family.
With more than a century of memories to look back on, Mary’s story began in 1922 when she was born to John and Anna Baron in the small community of Zbruch. John was a widower when he married Anna Buchkowski, bringing with him his seven-year-old adopted daughter Sophie.
After Mary was born, next came her brother Joe followed by sisters Pauline, Jean (Jenny), Katherine, Frances, Rosie and a set of twins who were stillborn. Katherine and Frances also died as young children.
In March 1930, their 46-year-old father died of cancer and tuberculosis, leaving Anna alone with five young children.
“When my father passed away, that was the saddest time in my life,” Mary recalled. “I always missed him.”
Soon after, eight-year-old Mary and her younger brother Joe started school in Komarno. It was difficult at first because they needed to speak English, but they didn’t know the language yet — only Polish and Ukrainian.
“We had to walk to school three and a half miles,” she said. “We had to walk a long way because nobody had a car. It was different then — everybody walked a lot.”
In the fall of 1933, Mary and her siblings Joe and Pauline started going to Zbruch School, which was closer to home.
That same year, Mary’s mother married widower Nick Kowalchuk and they all moved into his house. Together, Anna and Nick increased their family when Pearl (Polly) was born in 1934 followed by Adeline, John, Bill, Mike, Donnie and Harry. In such a big family, they never felt lonely and enjoyed plenty of fun times together.
“We were always treated very well,” Mary said. “We were blessed. I was always blessed.”
In the 1930s, money was scarce, so Mary’s mom made meagre earnings by selling cream, chickens and cordwood, as well as the occasional cow or pig. Nonetheless, they ate well with plenty of fresh veggies from their large garden, as well as bread from homegrown grain that was made into flour in Teulon, topped with tasty homemade jam.
“What I liked most was when they’d buy a gallon of Beehive corn syrup and mother would dilute it with hot water and soak our bread for school,” Mary said. “That was an envy of some kids as some of them only had dry bread.”
In those days, Mary and her siblings did lots of work around the farm, such as tending to animals and raking hay. The younger kids still found time to play, often pretending to be farmers with their cows or bouncing a ball against the barn wall.
“We always had lots of ducks, geese and chickens. The feathers were saved, and in winter people had feather bees when a few neighbours were asked to come,” Mary said. “The men played cards and the women stripped feathers. The mothers were expected to have pillows and perenas (feather quilts) for their daughters when they got married.”
By the time she was 14, Mary began to spend more time on household responsibilities and less time at school, although she was a good student and enjoyed her classes.
In 1940, Nick’s youngest brother George Kowalchuk asked Mary to be his wife. They wed on Aug. 3 in a celebration complete with music, dancing and a feast.
Soon after, George had to return to work at a gold mine in Pickle Crow, Ont., and he brought Mary with him. In her new community, she developed friendships with other women.
“I learned so much from the ladies there — how to bake and knit and make things. We took turns at each other’s houses to knit for the army,” said Mary, who also rolled bandages for the Red Cross during the Second World War. “My job was mitts. Others made sweaters and toques. We had tea after, so I copied recipes from others.”
In 1942, in Pickle Crow, Mary and George had their first child, Tom. Then in 1945, they returned to Manitoba. Eddie was born that summer, followed by Rosalie in 1949 in a two-room log house on farmland in Komarno.
In 1950, they moved to a two-room house with electricity in the town of Komarno. This is where Lucy was born in 1957. They lived together on a mixed farm with cows, pigs and chickens.
“Every season was exciting and busy when we were younger,” Mary recalled. “Winter was easy, just look after the cattle and play cards.”
Throughout their lives, the family was involved in the church and the community, and Mary became known for her ability to crochet colourful afghans. Holidays bustled with activity, particularly Christmas Eve, New Year’s Day and Easter.
In 1995, they sold their farm in Komarno and moved to Teulon for an easier life.
George and Mary remained married for 63 years until 2003 when George passed away after a brief battle with cancer. Sadly, Mary also had to grieve the passing of her sons Eddie in 2013 and Tom in 2019, and as well as her siblings who also passed, leaving Mary as the last remaining Baron.
Today, family life continues to be important to Mary, who enjoys visits from her daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her great-great-granddaughter.
And with astounding strength and speed, Mary manually rolls her wheelchair through the halls of Middlechurch Home for her current comings and goings.
“My arms are still strong from raking all that hay,” she said with a laugh and a sparkle in her eyes. “I’m a farm girl, and I always will be.”
Throughout all her decades, Mary has maintained a positive perspective — and it’s still the way she chooses to look at life.
“My life is very, very good. I have lots of good memories,” she said. “It’s been a happy life, with some sad parts, but mostly very happy. I would live my life over again.”
For the younger generations that follow, she offers some sage words of advice.
“Don’t worry too much,” she said. “Have good times with your family. And live day by day.”
