Michael Nebesny

Michael was born in Donetsk, Ukraine to Nikifor Nebesny and Maria Iwanowe on April 7, 1928. His early years were marked by struggle and conflict as he and his family were forced from their home to a Russian gulag in Siberia at a young age. After a few years his family was able to pay for their freedom and move back to the Donbas region. By the early 1940s, World War II was raging in Europe and German soldiers were advancing on the Soviets. Caught in the middle, Michael was offered liberation from Soviet oppression by the Germans. Michael often said he could see Germans on one side of him and Russians on the other. In exchange for protection and transportation, he agreed to serve the Germans as a firefighter. He was just fifteen years old at the time and traveled German military trains through Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. By 1945 the war was coming to a close and the American military was pushing into German held territory. Once again Michael would be offered freedom, but this time at the hands of the United States of America. His service commitment to the USA involved serving in the kitchen as a cook for three years. In 1948 after his service commitment ended, he was given a choice to move to Canada or Brazil. He chose to move to the small Brazilian town of Apucarana, outside of Sao Paulo. He told his family that he chose Brazil “because it is warmer” than Canada! It was in a Ukrainian village there that he met his beautiful bride, Stefana (Ostachuk). They were married on February 24, 1949 and enjoyed 64 years of marriage before her passing in 2013. While in Brazil, he studied cabinetmaking and owned his own cabinetry business until he moved to the Unites Stated in 1956. It was also in Brazil that he and Stefana welcomed their two children Alexander and Anna. Upon arriving in America, the Nebesny family settled in Columbus, Indiana where Michael worked at the local foundry. After several months of coming home with black soot all over his clothes, Stefana demanded that Michael find a new line of work or she was moving back to Brazil. Michael was convinced and he began looking for work in Indianapolis. Michael soon found an opportunity at Naval Avionics Warfare Center (NAWC) and worked as a carpenter for many years before his retirement. He also worked part-time at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis. Michael loved telling stories about his journey to the United States and his life’s experiences. He deeply loved his family, especially his five great-grandsons.

Michael is preceded in death by his wife Stefana, son Alexander Nebesny, son-in-law Charles Fender, and great-grandson Maddox Nebesny.

Michael is survived by daughter, Anna Nebesny-Fender, granddaughter, Jennifer Whitson and husband Clinton, grandson, Nicholas Nebesny and wife Pamela, great-grandsons Coen, Carter, and Cale Whitson and Julian and Kai Nebesny, daughter-in-law Melanie Nebesny, and nephew Steve Ostachuk and wife Tammy.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, November 30, 2024 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. and will be followed by the funeral service at 2:00 p.m. officiated by Father Anthony G. Yazge of St. George Orthodox Church at the Crown Hill Cemetery Gothic Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations in Michael’s name to St. George Orthodox Church, 10748 E. 116th Street, Fishers, IN.