Boja Vignjevic

Boja Vignjević was born on October 28, 1934 in Ponikve, Yougoslavia (Lika). She was the oldest of five children to Dušan and Mara Divić. She was traumatized as a child living through the Second World War in a constant state of fear. She often shared memories of how her family fled their homes and hid in the forest to escape the horrors of war. The strength she exemplified during these traumatic years carried throughout her entire life. Boja's life journey continued when Nikola Vignjević wrote to his brother, Gnjatija, who then, on behalf of Nikola, proposed marriage to Boja Divić. Boja accepted the proposal with the challenge of fleeing the country to travel to France. Joja, with her younger sister Sava and family friend Cvjeta, embarked on an adventure. With Nikola's instructions she received by letter he guided the three women through border crossings, towns to travel through and to whom to speak to and perhaps whom to avoid. He sent a map of travelling instructions guiding them out of Yugoslavia, through Italy and then on to France. She shared how they crossed the Italian border during the night, passing within meters of border patrols, through the forest in the rain. With the generosity and guidance of the locals through Italy and crossing under the same circumstances into France, they eventually arrived in Nice. The ladies made their way to Paris, where Nikola, uncertain of when they would arrive, waited daily at the train station.

Boja arrived in Paris in October, 1957 after travelling for approximately ten days. Nikola and Boja were married on April 18, 1959 in Paris, France. North America was the dream, they left France and arrived in Montreal, Canada on May 31, 1960. They were immediately put on a train and they travelled to Lethbridge, AB where they were sent to a farm to work as labor. They lived in a barn for several months with full intentions of moving to the city. Culture shock, moving from Paris to Lethbridge, brought consideration of return, but financial restraints did not allow this. They left the farm and came to Calgary in July, 1960. Boja and Nikola resided in Calgary until 1998 and then subsequently made their home in Kelowna, BC. They have two daughters, Nada Vignjević and Rada Baljak (Žarko) who reside in Calgary. They have been blessed with a grandson, Saša. Nikola and Boja's strong emotional ties to their homeland encouraged them to preserve their Serbian way of life in their home, teaching their children and grandson the Serbian language, values and beliefs. They also felt that in a foreign land they needed to preserve and cherish their religious values, traditions and customs which encouraged them to be among the founders, in the 1960's, of the St. Simeon Serbian Orthodox Church in Calgary. We cherish and hold near to our hearts the many wonderful memories "our Baba" has left with us.

A Funeral Service will be held at St. Vladimir's Ukranian Orthodox Church, 404 Meredith Road N.E., Calgary, AB on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 12:30 p.m. Burial will take place at Queen's Park Cemetery.

Expressions of sympathy may be forwarded to the family via the website www.fostersgardenchapel.ca

FOSTER'S GARDEN CHAPEL

FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATORIUM

Telephone: 519-297-0888

Honoured Provider of Dignity Memorial