Born on April 3, 1933, on a farm north of Myrnam, Alberta, to Ukrainian immigrants Mary (nee Bartoshyk) and John Osinchuk, Mom was the second of three daughters. After losing her dad at the age of 18, she left the farm, and her journey took her to Edmonton in the early 1950s. She married Nick Cebryk in November 1958, and they had three sons, Brian (1960), Dwayne (1964) and Jeff (1968).  She died on August 13, 2024, at the age of 91 years in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and is survived by her husband of 65 years, her three sons, Brian and Charlene, Ponte de Lima, Portugal, grandchildren Connor, Aidan, and Laurissa, Dwayne and Sharon, Port Coquitam, British Columbia, grandchildren Jared, Caitlin, Jake, and great grandson Max, and Jeff, Calgary, Alberta.

Like many children of Ukrainian immigrants, Mom had strong ties to the land throughout the rest of her life. Growing up on a farm, she likely started working soon after she could walk, performing the never-ending list of farm chores with her sisters, Lovette and Joanne, by her side. 

Nick and Bernie spent the first seven years of their married life in Edmonton before moving to Lanigan, Saskatchewan in 1965.  Life in Lanigan with Nick and her three boys was busy, putting her incredible work ethic to the test. There was always a garden and if she wasn’t working outside, she was baking bread, washing sheets and clothes, or cooking hearty food that spoke of her heritage and the cooking skills she had inherited from her mother. Mom made the best holubsti, some darn good perogies, amazing pies, and her top-secret rhubarb borscht—a delicacy to all who were lucky enough to taste it. She always filled the pantry shelves with the bounty of the garden; canned, pickled, or turned into sauerkraut.

If raising three sons was not enough, Mom began working in the medical records department of the Lanigan Hospital soon after Jeff started grade one in 1974. She studied at night, obtained a medical records certificate, and worked at the hospital for 24 years before retiring in July 1998. 

Mom had a great sense of humour, and her laugh and grin were charming to see. She was an avid bridge player, loved volunteering, and spent every morning until age 87 working out at the gym. After moving to Medicine Hat in 2000, Mom finally embraced her retirement and began to ease up on the chores, enjoying the pace and workload of a much smaller garden. This freed up time to participate in events organized by the Happy Hatters Newcomers Club, lose golf balls at various courses in the Hat, visit with friends, and attend Medicine Hat Tiger games.

Retirement also meant an opportunity to travel, and trips were made to Alaska, Mexico, Hawaii, and Paris. There was also a train trip on the famous Rocky Mountaineer and river cruises in Europe. Ever the screaming Elvis fan (hard to believe, we know), Mom even completed a bucket list trip to Graceland to relive her attendance of the legendary 1957 Elvis Presley concert in Vancouver. She could always be heard humming a song in the kitchen or while she crocheted endless blankets and slippers. 

We would like to acknowledge and thank the people who have been instrumental in attending to Mom’s health care needs: Dr. Monty Van der Westhuizen and his staff at MediCross Clinic, the team at HomeCare, the staff at Chinook Village, and briefly, the staff at Meadowlands, doctors and nurses at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, and at St. Joseph’s. Mom was feisty and stubborn at times, but her wishes were always respected with much care, compassion, and grace. 

A memorial service will be held at PATTISON FUNERAL HOME & CELEBRATION OF LIFE CENTRE on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. 

The service will be live streamed. to view the livestream, please click this link: https://youtube.com/live/D1vGow7EgRs?feature=share