Myroslawa Chymych

On September 1, 1939, Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, beginning a war that would forever change the lives of millions. His goal was to expand German territory into Eastern Europe as part of his broader plan to conquer the Soviet Union. Just eighteen days later, on September 19, 1939, a little girl was born. Her parents named her Myroslawa, a name meaning “peaceful glory.”

Known throughout her life as Myra, she was born in the small village of Boratyn, in the Zolochiv Raion of Lviv Oblast, in what was then Polish territory and is now part of western Ukraine. Her parents were hardworking farmers who raised livestock to support their family. To provide additional income, her father also worked as a bootmaker and the village barber.

The war soon reached their home. In 1944, during the continuing conflict, Myra’s father was shot and killed. Their family home and all of their possessions were burned to the ground. With nowhere to turn, Myra’s mother—pregnant with her fourth child—fled with her three young children and Myra’s grandmother into Germany. There they were confined in displaced persons camps surrounded by barbed wire, where they endured hunger and uncertainty while waiting for the war to end.

While living in Germany, Myra’s youngest brother, Joseph, was born. Tragically, at only eighteen months of age, he died from diphtheria, a highly contagious bacterial disease. Following the war, Myra’s mother remarried and had two more children. Today, Myra is survived by three brothers as well as by two of her sons, Andrew and Eugene.

In 1951, at the age of twelve, Myra immigrated to the United States. The transition was anything but easy. She spoke no English and often had to stay after school because she could not understand or complete her homework. Through determination, perseverance, and her unwavering faith in God, she learned the English language, mastered spelling, and became a naturalized United States citizen at the age of nineteen.

At eighteen years old, Myra married Michael Serwas, and together they had three sons. After ten years, the marriage ended, leaving her to raise her children as a single mother. She often said that throughout those difficult years she prayed every day that God would allow her to raise her boys and that they would never know a stepmother. God answered those prayers.

A year later, she met Peter Chymych, who became her second husband. Together they lovingly raised the boys and eventually became devoted members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Throughout her life, Myra was never afraid of hard work. She held many different jobs, each reflecting her strong work ethic and commitment to providing for her family. She worked for Armour & Company packaging hot dogs, bacon, and sweetbreads, and even cleaning hanging cattle. She later served as a teacher’s aide in the Denver Public Schools, helping kindergarten children learn and grow. She also cared for elderly residents in a nursing home before joining COBE Laboratories, where she spent six years assembling tubing packs used in kidney dialysis machines.

Myra took great pride in doing every job well. She completed several workplace training programs, including a ten-hour Supervisors Safety Course, one of her proudest accomplishments. Safety was always important to her, and she developed a keen eye for recognizing situations that might pose a danger to others.

In 1983, Myra and Peter moved to Sun City, Arizona. Peter looked forward to retirement, but retirement simply wasn’t for Myra. She went to work for Sperry Avionics, which later became Honeywell, assembling printed circuit boards for seven years. Even after that, she continued working by starting a house-cleaning business, which she operated for another five years before finally retiring.

Myra’s faith remained the cornerstone of her life. She loved her church deeply and faithfully served as a Sabbath School Superintendent and by sharing Mission Stories with the congregation. Her service reflected her love for God and her desire to encourage others in their faith.

Myra was, above all else, a survivor. She endured war, the loss of her father, displacement from her homeland, poverty, the death of a young brother, the challenges of immigration, and the hardships of raising a family. Yet through every trial, she trusted in God, worked tirelessly, and never lost hope.

She taught her children that hard work builds character, gratitude is essential, and faith in God can carry a person through life’s greatest challenges. Her life stands as a testimony to resilience, perseverance, sacrifice, and unwavering faith.

Her legacy lives on in the family she loved, the lives she touched, and the example she set for future generations.

By the grace of God, we will see each other again.