Our Story:
The Fred Andrusko Family
Fred Andrusko (born Theodorus Andruszkiw immigrated as Fedko Andruszko) married Mary Michalenko in the 1890s. They had a daughter Annie born on Jan 19 1900.
They were living in Horodenka Ukraine when Mary’s brother Mathew Michalenko who had immigrated to Canada in 1903 sent news of all the good land available in Saskatchewan
Fred (Fedko) Andrusko with his wife Mary and daughter Annie left Horodenka to immigrate to Canada on March 06 1905 arrived in Halifax after a long trip. They took a train to Rosthern, Saskatchewan where they spent a couple of weeks recuperating from the hard trip. Fred and some other men walked from Rosthern to Borden to claim the Andrusko homestead NE. Quarter of section 26 township 41 range 9 west of 3 meridian. On June 26 1905 it was registered in Prince Albert Sask. Fredƒs name on the homestead receipt was Fedko Andriozko.
Andrusko Homestead House(top) Andrusko Family Photo (bottom)
Year: 1920
Place Name: Borden
Top Photo: This house was built in 1905 and was home to Fred & Mary Andrusko Family. Place Jack and Bill were born on NE Quarter of Section 26 Township 41 Range 9 West.
Bottom Photo: Fred & Marry sitting, Jack standing on left, Roman holding baby some, Mike, Annie Shipowick (nee Andrusko) standing with her hands on her mother and brother, Bill.
The difference in the last name spelling was because of the government agents trying to write a Ukrainian name in English.
Now the Andrusko’s had a place to build a home and start what would become a big family and still growing.
When Fred came back to Rosthern with the good news, he immediately bought a couple of oxen, a wagon, a plow, a cow, a mower, rake, some chickens and food supplies for the new homestead. It took several days of travel to get to the homestead. When they got there the first thing was to build a small sod hut to live in while they started breaking the land, seeding and putting a garden in so that they could grow some food for summer and the coming winter.
In late summer Fred and family built a big one room log house, plastering the inside and outside with clay and manure. This house kept the family warm and healthy for their first winter in Saskatchewan.
Fred and Mary’s first son John Alfred Andrusko was born on July 04, 1906 as he grew up he was to be known as Jack Andrusko. Second son William Alfred Andrusko was born July 10, 1911 and he was known as Bill Andrusko.
In 1915 a young man named Roman Shipowick came to work for Fred Andrusko and later in 1919 he married his daughter Annie. They moved to the next quarter of land, Roman farmed both his land and worked Fred Andrusko’s land. Roman was a hard worker and a good farmer. He built up the farm to 13 quarters taking over the Andrusko original homestead when Fred and Mary Andrusko quit farming and moved to Radisson.
Roman and Annie Shipowick had three boys. Mike Shipowick the oldest married Irene
Kotelko of Wakaw and they had three children: Wesley, Taras and Donna. Mike’s family are in business or retired and live in Ontario.
Bert Shipowich the second son married Marion Kotelko of Great Deer and they had four children: Yvonne, Ron, Wayne and Brent. Bert and Marion made Radisson home and Bert had the Massey Harris dealership for many years and also was Mayor of the town of Radisson in the 1970s. Bert passed away September 12, 2001 while still living in Radisson.
Ed, the youngest son married Kay Dutton of Radisson. They had three children: Donnie, Joyce and Sandra. In 1956 Roman and Annie semi-retired and moved to Radisson while Ed and Kay Shipowich¡¦s family stayed on the farm. In 1975 Roman and Annie fully retired and Ed and Kay took over the farm.
Ed Shipowich passed away in 1985 and the farm was sold having been in the family over 80 years.
Jack Andrusko went to the local schools to start but later went on to a higher education and became a teacher. His first school was Concordia School in 1926 at the age of 20 years old; there is a photo of his first class in the Borden Museum, and the desk from King George School, the last school he taught in Saskatchewan 1943.
Jack Andrusko (top) Jack & his band (bottom)
Year: 1927 (top) 1928 (bottom)
Place Name: Radisson (top) Saskatoon (bottom)
Image Source: Chambury Studio Saskatoon (bottom photo only)
Top Photo: Jack with car bought my mom and dad. He used the car to go teaching and play in a dance band. He also used it bring in the cows on the farm and pick up girls.
Bottom Photo: Jack Andrusko on Saxophone, Walter Pedrobetsky on Banjo and Jack Pedrobetsky on Guitar.
Two of Jack’s hobbies were building radios and playing the Saxophone, he was also interested in anything to do with electricity. I think his mother and father where proud of their son doing modern things they new nothing about because they bought him new cars at harvest time. Jack was an accomplished musician he could read and write music, play most musical instruments and played in local dance bands. He also started school bands when he could find the interest and talent.
In 1929 Jack Andrusko married Thelma Mae Ford she was called Bunny by her family as the doctor that delivered her was Dr. Hare and she was cute as a bunny. The Ukrainian part of the family could not pronounce Bunny so they called her Bonny she was much liked and very popular with Jack’s extended family. Hence they were known as Jack and Bunny Andrusko.
Bunny was born August 28, 1911 in Spearfish South Dakota, USA she was the second child born to Frank and Cora Ethel Ford. At the age of three Bunny moved to Canada along with her parents and two brothers: Harry and Pat. They farmed near Kelvington, Saskatchewan where brother, Glen was born. They later moved to Saskatoon where sister, Lucille, was born. Some of Frank Ford’s brother¡¦s family still lives in Kelvington. Bunny went to the Albert School in Saskatoon where she was in grade three on January 10, 1921. She left that school in 1926, when she completed her grade eight.
Jack and Bunny Andrusko
Year: 1940
Place Name: Saskatoon
We lived in Saskatoon at this time, this was before Dad went to teach at King George School in the Borden area.
Jack and Bunny were married on August 07, 1929 in Saskatoon. They honeymooned in Banff, Alberta. Their favorite sport was duck hunting early morning before teaching school. Bunny was a crack shot with a 12 gauge shotgun.
Their first child Joan Ann Lucille was born June 14 1934 at Tuffnell Sask. where Jack was teaching. And that was the end of the early morning duck hunting.
January 08, 1937 Fedko Andrusko passed away at home in Radisson. He was buried at Redberry Park Baptist church and Cemetery. The grave marker reads Fred Andrusko 1868-1937. The Ukrainian Baptist Church was built a mile west and a half mile north of the Redberry Park store on NW 4-42-9 W 3rd located twelve miles north of the Saunders’ corner at Borden. The church was built in 1910 and still stands today and was where Fred and Mary Andrusko family went to church. When I first took my wife Elaine in the1970s to the church she was quite taken back when she read the marker with Fred Andrusko on it.
I John Fredrick Andrusko was born May 20 1937 at Crystal Springs Sask. Where my dad Jack Andrusko was teaching school. The family calls me Fredrick but I am known by friends and in business as Fred Andrusko.
Dad and Mother raised my sister Joan and I during the 1930’s great depression, Dad’s pay for teaching was little or no money but food for the family and milk for Joan and I came from local farmers. In 1938 some of the area got rain and I think it was the start of the end of the drought.
Dad tried his hand at selling the World Book to raise money with fair success due to his teaching background. They moved to Toronto for about a year dad tried out playing the Sax. in the Toronto Symphony but the east was not for them so back to home (Saskatchewan).
Interim Homestead Receipt and Canada Reg. Board Certificate
Interim Homestead Receipt for Fedko Andriozko for the NE Quarter of Section 26 Township 41 Range 9 West of 3 Meridian.
Canada Registration Board Certificates for Fred Andrusko and Mary Andrusko.
Jack Andrusko’s last teaching job in Saskatchewan was at King George school in the Borden area. At the end of the 1943 school year Jack and Bunny packed up the family, which included both Jack and Bunnie’s mothers and also, Joan and I in to a 1937 Chevy car and moved to Lula Island, which is now known as Richmond, British Columbia. The trip took several days and when they got to the Fraser canyon Bunnie’s mother got out and took the train to Vancouver as she had enough of driving in the mountains.
As soon as Jack got to BC he was able to get good paying work as a electrician at the Vancouver ship yards due to the WW2 ship building work.
After WW2 Jack worked as a teacher mostly in the rural areas as it was more to his liking and he could get closer to the community much like it was in Saskatchewan.
Jack and Bunny had a second daughter, Coralee Mae, born March 30 1952.
Mary Andrusko (Baba) passed away April 1953 born May 19 1876 she was 79 years old.
Jack and Bunny had a second son Mark Ford, born August 17 1954
Joan Andrusko after graduation went into nursing and graduated from the Vancouver General Hospital with her RN. Then with a scholarship from General Motors she went back to UBC University to get her public health nursing degree and then worked for a short time at the GM Oshawa plant. On October11, 1958 Joan married John Davies they had four daughters, Deborah, Susan, Naomi, and Rebekah. Two of Joan’s daughters Naomi and Rebekah became nurses.
I Fred Andrusko joined the Royal Canadian Air Force after high school and after training as an Aero-engine technician served the balance of my three years in Gimli, Manitoba. After the military service I traveled over much of Canada for about two years working here and there. I then went to Buck Ridge BC where my dad was teaching here I met my wife to be Elaine Peterson a local ranchers daughter, after over a year of courting I was able to convince Elaine and her mother and father that she should be my wife and the mother of my children. Much to my mother and father’s surprise and pleasure! Elaine and I where married on February the 10th 1962 in Quesnel, BC.
Certificate of Naturalization
Year: 1909
Place Name: Battleford
Cerificate of Naturalization for Fedko Andriozko.
Jack Andrusko passed away Aug 24 1964 of a heart attack and Bunny had to raise Coralee and Mark on her own. Elaine and I have three children, John Gregory, Terralee Mae and Andrea Lucille and I made my living as a electrician and later as a technical consultant.
Gregory who grew up too fast is married to Lori (Lyons) who had two children from a previous marriage Stacy and Kristy. Lori and Greg have two sons Dustin Andrew Andrusko and Cody Gregory Andrusko. Gregory became a diamond driller and his company is called Frontier Drilling Corp. Dustin has been drilling with his dad and Gregory is hoping Dustin will take over and run the business. Cody is taking after his great grandfather Jack Andrusko as he is very musically inclined and is playing in a band and making music CDs.
Terralee Mae our oldest daughter married Tom Koenig they have two sons Donald Quinn Koenig and Travis Riley Koenig. Terralee took up fashion design in collage and over the years has managed several stores and lately bought a thrift store. Quinn, Tom and Terralee’s oldest son is working as a chef. Travis is working in a plywood veneer factory.
Andrea our youngest daughter married Stefan Dobrostanski. Andrea has one son Christopher James Andrusko who is working for a propane company in Fort St John. Andrea has been working as a industrial first aid attendant and is taking training as a registered massage therapist. Coralee, Jack and Bunny’s second daughter married Tom Archibald and they had six children Tamilee, Rosalee, Mathew, Joy, Jessica and John-Mark. Mark Andrusko, Jack and Bunny’s second son married Lisa Parker and they had three children, Marie, Siobhan and Jonathan Andrusko.
Bill Andrusko the second son of Fred (Fedko) and Mary Andrusko went to school and spent his youth in Radisson Sask. Bill married Marion McLean in Radisson on November 21, 1932. They had a son Roy Andrusko born April 21, 1932 in Radisson. About 1934 Bill and Marion moved to BC. Their daughter Donna Mae was born November 15, 1938 in Vancouver, BC. They lived in Richmond for several years and then moved to Kelowna, BC where Bill started a glass business called Interior Glass. Donna has one son called Doug. Roy had two sons Craig and Clifford and a daughter named Lee. Bill Andrusko passed away September 18, 1986. Roy Andrusko passed away April 29, 2002.
On March 01, 2008 Thelma Mae Andrusko (Bunny or Bonny) went to be with her lord. She was ninety six years and six months old. Mother had spent last Christmas at our home along with some of our family. She was in great spirits telling stories and reciting poetry and scriptures. She was still wearing her high heel shoes up to her last week and all the boys in the family from the 1930s to her last years said she had the best legs in town.
In summary Fred (Fedko) and Mary Andrusko, Roman and Annie Shipowich, and Ed and Kay Shipowich all farmed the land, raised a family and had a good life and all retired in Radisson. The rest of the family lived and had a good life in Ontario, Saskatchewan, or British Columbia. This is how I see the success of the Prairie Gamble and the Saskatchewan story for our family in the last one hundred plus years.
Now at 71 years old, I, Fred Andrusko the second. A Saskatchewan born boy, I have survived two major open heart surgeries. Blessed with a good wife, three children and five Grandsons to carry on the family I am pleased to share this, my story with you.