Beverley Bzdel

A funeral service was held in Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church, Wynyard on Friday, February 20, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. with Father Jeffrey Stephaniuk officiating. Interment followed in Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery.

Bev was born in Wadena, Saskatchewan on December 31, 1942. She was the eldest child of four girls born to William (Bill) and Ethel (Irene) Fewster. Bev grew up on the family farm just south of Elfros, Saskatchewan. She received her schooling in Elfros and Wynyard. In 1960, she moved to Regina to work at SaskTel for 1 year. She moved back home in 1961 to work at the Rural Telephone Company office in Elfros until it closed in 1966. Bev worked at the Capital Supply Store in Elfros until December of 1966. She then stayed home for many years to raise her children and help out on the family farm. In 1985, she re-entered the workforce as a caretaker for CP Rail in Wynyard and continued to work there until 2003.

On October 16, 1965 Bev married Henry Bzdel building their life together in Elfros until they began farming in 1969 south of Wynyard.

Bev and Henry were blessed with four children: Shelley, Gerald, Scott and Lorie and six grandchildren: Kyle, Taylor, Landon, Keaton, Ava and Cole. Family was always very important to Bev. She loved her grandchildren and was always interested in hearing about what they were busy doing.

Bev was an amazing cook and baker, with no one ever leaving the house hungry. Many stopped by for coffee and looked forward to her homemade baking. Bev also spent many hours tending to a very large garden.

On November 1, 2022 she moved into the nursing home in Theodore. There the staff made her feel comfortable and she was so happy. The highlight of her day was phoning to tell us how many games of bingo she had won.

Bev was predeceased by her husband Henry in 2016; parents Bill and Irene Fewster and brothers-in-law/sisters-in-law: Wilfred Bzdel, Sylvester Bzdel, Elaine (Ray) Clark and Helen Bzdel.

She is survived by her children: Shelley (Dean) Sargent of Carlyle, SK, Gerald (Gloria) Bzdel of Saskatoon, SK, Scott (Shauna) Bzdel of Emerald Park and Lorie (David) Rithaler of Grenfell, SK; grandchildren: Kyle (Kalee) Sargent, Taylor (Riley) Gerhardt, Landon and Keaton Bzdel and Ava and Cole Rithaler; sisters: Darlene (Ernie) Welta, Linda (Wayne) Timmerman and Lorna (Gerry) Onyskevitch; brothers-in-law/sisters-in-law: Jim Bzdel, Len (Lois) Bzdel and Cathy Bzdel and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Bev will be deeply missed by all.

In memory of Bev, donations may be made to the Theodore Health Centre, Box 70, Theodore, SK S0A 4A0 – in memo line please put “for Activity Department”.

Eulogy as given by Merle Wasylynka

Daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, neighbour and my friend for over 50 years.

Two words that would describe Bev would be ‘hard worker”. She never shied away from work and for her, responsibility began at a early age. Bev was 24 when her mom passed suddenly and she became a mother figure to her sisters Darlene, Linda and Lorna. It was not an easy time.

When I met Bev, she was a wife and mother of two young children – Shelley and Gerald. Henry was employed by the RM of Elfros. Supper was on schedule as Henry would come home just in time to clean up, have supper and head out to play net for the Elfros Eagles.

Bev enjoyed ice time by curling at the old Elfros Curling rink. She even won a trophy one year. It had a cute little skunk sitting on its base. I know that because we had a matching one at our house.

Scott and Lorie completed the family. Henry and Bev moved to his parents house and then built their new home in 1982.

Any farm wife will tell to you that life on a farm is hectic and a farm with cows – no end to that work. Chores, chores, chores! But Bev loved those cows. Sometimes the cows tried to show her they were the boss and there were a few close calls.

Large farmyards equal lots of grass and many hours were spent on that lawnmower making her yard picture perfect.

Bev always had a huge garden. Unfortunately, garden harvest and crop harvest were at the same time. Between picking, pickling and canning, making meals and packing everything into coolers to take out to the field, there was little time to rest – and there were still those chores to do! She was also the gopher – go to John Deere for parts or being me such and such from the shop. One call on that CB Radio and she was gone.

Bev decided it was time to take a job off the farm and actually get paid for her work. She cleaned the CPR bunkhouse for 18 years.

Bev was an active member of the Ukrainian Catholic Women’s League and you could always count on her to help with any and all activities.

An invitation to Henry and Bev’s was a guaranteed good time. The food was delicious, drinks were plentiful, cards were smoking and there were always a lot of laughs. Bev had so many cookbooks and she would study them for hours looking for something new to prepare for her guests. December 1st, baking started and she would baking every day in preparation for Christmas. Freezing these delicacies didn’t mean the containers would be full to the top when they were opened. Apparently frozen tarts and cookies were pretty tasty!

A highlight of the year for our family was the New Years trip to Greenwater with the Bzdels. Sledding, eating and hours of playing Rumoli. We did that for several years and we had so much fun.

Time marched on and soon sons-in-law Dean and David and daughters-in-law Gloria and Shauna, as well as six wonderful grandchildren: Kyle, Taylor, Landon, Keaton, Ava and Cole were welcomed into the family.

Grandchildren’s pictures were displayed on the china cabinet. She was proud of all of you. Visiting Grandpa and grandma at the farm was the place to be.

Age creeps up on a person and years of stumbling over frozen lumps in the cattle pen began to take its toll. Two knee surgeries followed.

Losing Henry was in 2016 was a huge blow, but being one of them stubborn Fewsters – her words, not mine – she stayed on the farm for another 6 years. When that was no longer an option, the Theodore Care Home became her new address. She embraced her new way of life there and enjoyed the routine and activities they provided. She was soon a favorite with the residents and staff.

Bev never forgot birthdays and we exchanged phone calls in December – my birthday being on the 9th and hers on the 31st.

Sometimes time is too short and unfortunately Bev was not able to recover from her last health setback and she passed away peacefully last week.

Good-bye my friend, enjoy your well deserved rest. You will be missed!

To Grandma from Taylor Gerhardt

I stood up here almost 10 years ago when my grandpa passed. It was one of the hardest things I had done at the time, and this time is no different. This doesn't feel real and my heart hurts so much.

But look grandma, all of these people are here for you. You are, and have always been so loved. To know my grandma was to love her. The way she cared for her family, her grandchildren, her friends and her outlook on life. Growing up, no one left the farm with an empty stomach and grandma's baking...so good.

In times like this you always wish for more time, but there's just never enough. I wish God didn't have to take her from us just yet. I wish I could visit her more, talk on the phone about how many games of bingo she won today, what she got for prizes and how she's watching Family Feud on tv.

Grandma, I wish we got more time with you, but now you get more time with grandpa. You are free of pain and you are back with grandpa after spending almost 10 years missing him.

And now I have gained another beautiful guardian angel.