Stanley Mickalishen

child of Mike and Pauline, baby brother to Katie, Nellie, Walter, Joe, Ed and Olga. He was very proud of his agricultural roots. His

time on the family farm formed him into a man we are honoured to call Dad and Grandpa.

One of his favourite memorieswith his parents was on July 12, 1950. His father suggested Dad chauffer his parents in Uncle Ed's

green Model A Ford for a day-long countryside tour. Eyes glued to the road, while listening to his parents match landownerswith

property, Stan drove passed Jedburgh, Beaver School and came close to Theodore. Grandpa's spur of the moment trip was heaven

inspired, as Dad went on to try to create memorieslike that with his kids and grandkids.

Music was very special to him. It pleased him greatly that so many of his kids and grandkids were blessed with musical talent. A

young Stanley played fiddle in a dance band that toured small towns. The accordion made an appearance, too. Mom and Dad knew

all the kids had potential, so a piano was purchased and lessons were offered.The piano now rests in Don's house, begging

grandchildren to play her.

When he made the tough decision to leave the farm and move to Yorkton, Stan’s sister, Nel and her husband Julius, welcomed him

in. He had seen how hard it was on his parents when his siblings moved out. It impacted his world significantly when one got married

and settled elsewhere.

After high school, his job at a bank ended with an unintentional error.He may not have appreciated it then, but his ability to learn

from his mistakes made him a careful money handler. Those who worked for him were schooled in attention to detail, and

methodical work processes. Zippy Mar t benefitted from a young Stanley's error. Dad was savvy. He may not have had high marks

and surprised himself and his teacher when he passed Algebra, but he valued education. Many years later, while working at Foley

Motors, he studied hard and earned a GMACaccounting certification. In the late 70’s he and Sandy even attended computer class in

DOS. Three classes were enough!!! When he was in his 60s, he earned an honourary certificate from Academy of Learning. He tried

his best to learn computer skills, but electronics intimidated him.

The call of the booming oil patch set the stage for Dad's biggest move. In 1955, Estevan became home. He star ted work at Flint Rig.

He met Kathleen Nellie Poage. He swept her off her feetafter his friend and co-worker,Wilf Thurier, nudged Dad to ask Mom to a

dance at an event in Stoughton. Their weddingon June 30, 1956, was the beginning of something good. Two became one, and their

love grew (boy, did it grow !). Sandra arrived in 1957. Linda followed in 1958. Donald was added in 1960, Joseph died in childbir th,

but in1963, David join the clan. Another boy named Kenneth arrived in 1965. The kids knew by then, that if Mom was gone and

Dad made Swanson TV Dinners and bought Buster Bars, a new baby was cominghome. Just to keep them young, in 1976 Michelle

was born, evening out the boy-girl ratio.

During this period of grow th, they made lifelong friends on 2nd St, namely the Cairns and Hoods. The Lambs, whom they met as they

waited for their house on McDonald Road to be built, visited even after they moved from Estevan. The Hillcrest area was very good

for the family. Neighbours included a neighbour we called Grandma Stangret, the Kowalchuks, Larsons, Claytons, Averys, Gunns, Bills

and the Andersons. Parents knew they could yell out the door and someone would know where their kids were. He appreciated their

friendships, even to the presentday. It grieved him to leave his house. He left "happy" behind when he locked the door for the final

time.

With the many commitments at home,and the desire to give his family every oppor tunity, Dad did what most dads did - he worked

more than one job. For yearsBraid-Nor Oilfield Construction was his primary employer, however, add to this Canadian Perforators,

Carson Welding, Viking Oilfield Supply, Waterflood and many other bookkeeping jobs on the side. When he came home from work

he ate supper with the CTV News with Johnny Sandison on, and then went to work at another job. After leaving Braid-Nor, and

star ting his own business, Dad also did the books for Foley Motors, and Estevan Motors.

Being so busy made his Sunday morningporridge and bacon and eggs special. It also meant spur of the moment weekend trips to

Yorkton and wonderful vacations to BC, Kenosee Lake, Madge Lake, Good Spirit (Devil’s Lake), Medora, Deadwood, and Mount

Rushmore, just to get away. All trips included museums, and other culturally significant places. It was the canvas tent that made the

vacations memorable, however. With a complicated ridge pole system, the tent needed the same amount of people as Dad had kids

to set up. It was heavy, durable, and we drew straws to see who had to go in the centre to lift up the ridge pole. We travelled many

miles with the tent under our feet – there was no room in the trunk!!

These whirlwind years took a toll. Dad had the self-awareness and courage to know he needed a break. He went, for a time, to

Souris Valley Hospital, to learn how to cope with life's challenges. How brave of him! He loved his family enough to know he could

be a better person if he learned to prioritize what he wanted from life. We are thankful he took that time, in a day and age when

discussion about mental health was taboo.

It was at this time that the desire for his own business – a way to ensure everyone had a job – becamea passion. Don was brought

into the search for the best business oppor tunities. From A&Ws to book stores, they scoured business plans, and finally found

Weyburn & the Zippy Mar t. Don manned the store, making itthe go-to place for the city. Many longgggg hours, many hours fixing

stuff, many hours learning the industry. Dad would come up on Friday after work in Estevan and work until late on Sunday. The

weekend staff knew Dad was there because Polka Time was on the radio. It wasn’t long before Ken, then Dave worked in the store.

This was followed by Sandra, Michelle and Lise. In the meantime, Mom did the books from the basement in Estevan – many many

long hours in the basement. As the business came to include the laundromat and then the restaurant, a place to have an office was

needed. The little house on Victoria Streetwas purchased – complete with a place to cook, to sleep and enter tain.

His family was obviously very impor tant. His special connection to his niece Marlene began with her bir th, as it made him an uncle at

a young age. He knew bir thdays and anniversaries for all his siblings, but funny as it may be, he left those same details, of his kids, to

his dear wife.Those special days meant the budget was stretched. He would make a brief phone call to each celebrant-at

$2.00/minute. Holidays were times of reflection and celebration, reconnecting with family nearand far. Traditions kept him

grounded and humbled.He kept the family history alive and honoured his past by making sure his children knew where they came

from. Even details like the fact that his parents had to make a choice on what church to attend, Or thodox or Ukrainian Catholic, were

impor tant to mention. When Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtila was named Pope John Paul II, Dad recalled that his mom said, “We have

one of ours”, a tribute to the family connection to Poland, and the Church.

The Catholic faith, passed down from his parents, sustained him through many trials. A regular sign - newly shined black or white

shoes meant church was tomorrow. Praying the Rosary as a child in long johns by the Booker wood stove meant he had no

sympathy for his kids’ complaints of kneeling on the linoleum floor in Estevan. Many years were spent faithfully devoted to his time

of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in the church in Estevan. His "shift" was early morning. The rare occasions he could not

attend, he made sure someone would cover his spot and he would make it up the next week. Morning mass at 6 am on TV would

wake up any house guests. EWTN brought him great comfort when he could not get to church. He felt Mary's example of

faithfulness pointed us to Jesus. He expected his sons, especially, to respect their mother, as a reminder of Mother Mary's sacrifices.

His faith and commitment to family values meant Zippy Mar t would not sell magazines that depicted women provocatively. He was

a Knights of Columbus member, which was impor tant to him. Meetings were a chance to interact with like-minded men,and to

serve his community. For a time, he wrote the newsletter and his kids stuffed envelopes. Lots of envelopes...

Did you ever hear him say he didn' t like talking to people?What a crock, right? He needed personal interaction like we need air.

Even if he was yelling, at least you were interacting with him. He wanted the local kids to tow the line if they entered his businesses.

They knew if they got thrown out for the night, they would be allowed in again, but needed to be respectful. Many second chances

were given over the years. He became the "adopted" dad of many kids. He cared enough to teach them right and wrongby

demonstrating respect and grace. Customer service was very impor tant to him. The other person mattered. His past experiences

with discrimination because of his ethnicity shaped his ability to respect anyone, no matter the colour of skin or origin of bir th.

People truly fascinated him.

He also admired cars - pretty or workhorse or lemon, he enjoyed them all. His life could be set on a timeline of cars– so over the

years he had a collection. He wanted his kids to know basic automotive maintenance, as he was not mechanically inclined. Fluids

topped up or changed, tires inflated, blankets and emergency kit in place. We are sure he prayed for our cars as much as he did for

us. His list of cars, as best as we can remember are: 195? Gold Belvedere – his gold and chrome big-finned beauty (We think he

bought it to make Uncle Ed jealous); Red Strato Chief– took us to BCfor Centennial year; Red Chev (broke downin Calgary during

Stampede week); Brown Station Wagon – it caught on fire; Blue Station Wagon; Orange/Yellow Chev Truck (star ted when nothing

else did); Red full size Chev truck with camper, Red Chev S-15; Blue Mazda GL; Grey Mazda 323; Metallic Toyota Cressida;

Motorhome and Dodge Caravan.

Dad wanted to make memories.Trips to the store were as special to him as trips to the mountains. If you wanted to go with him,

that is all he needed or wanted

His grandchildren and great grandchildren saw a softer side of Dad. He cherished the time with them, even if they were loud. Having

little ones around gave him an excuse to keep cookies around. He loved his sweets. He went through healthy kicks, as we all do, but

pie was beyond his self-control. He loved pie. Did he truly love sharing his pie with the grandkids? I suspect no, thus ever present

cookies.

Dad had Rheumatic fever as a child. The effects were made known in1995 when he had his first hear t valve replacement. Another

replacement was needed 15 years later. Both surgeries kept him going. He had poor sight in one eye,but was able to do such

detailed work, which was quite an accomplishment. He tore his rotator cuff shoulder musclesdoing more than he should have. It

hur t him deeply to be so physically limited and it seemed to wear him out. He stopped reading when his eyesight diminished fur ther

with what seems to be a hereditary eye disease. He required a pacemaker after his second hear t surgery. In 2015 he was diagnosed

with a rare lymphoma, Waldenstrom’s macroglobuleminia. It could be controlled with chemotherapy and immunotherapy, but it

was not curable. We thank Doug for visiting Dad when he was going through chemo. A seriesof falls recently made him less

confident in his ablility to walk and also very sore. He was not happy, but we pray he was comfortable.

His hear t break over losing Sister Katie, Brother Joe, Sister Nel and Brother Walter made him cling tighter and be kinder to those he

loved. “Getting old sucked.” We are grateful for the pictures we have of the siblings together. Now, Brother Ed and Sister Olga are

the only two left. We pray for their health to remain strong for as long as possible.

We did not expect our mother to pass when she did, and neither did Dad. He, in his mind, was supposed to go first. The shock of her

loss never truly left him. He mourned for over a year, and that was too much. The house in Estevan was home,but he appreciated

the invitation from Michelle & Vince to stay with them when he knew he would not be able to maintain it on his own. From their

home, Dad found his room at the Weyburn Special Care home. He appreciated the staff at the home. He looked forward to visits

from family, in par ticular, Don and Cayla would make the effor t to visit him most days, and he relished the visits with his children

and grandkids.

He appeared to always be caught between two worlds.He loved his heritage as a farm kid, but he knew he was not a farmer. He was

pleased with his knowledgeof bookkeeping, but maybe his passion would have led him to be a car detailer or musician had bills not

been an issue. He wanted to be with his family, but work or church frequently took his time. Mom's passing created an even greater

divide in his worlds. He loved his family, he missed his wife.He chose us for a time, to ease OURpain of losing Mom. He may have

been here in body, but in his mind, he was in his heavenly home.

Thank you to our extended family – Auntie Olga, Uncle Ed, all the cousins; to our marvellousneighbours Ginger & Mike, who

watched the house in Estevan; to Fr. Gerry who was able to help Dad make peace; to Fr. Francis and the staff of St. Vincent de Paul

and McKenna Hall; to Tamara (a former employee –many years ago) and the staff of Fletcher’s Funeral Home; to all of Dad’s

Eucharistic companionsin Estevan and Weyburn,and to all of you – thank you for being a par t of the fabric of our father’s life. And

to all his former employees and coworkerswho became like family, please know how dearly he appreciated your hard work.He

never took for granted your contributions to the business and to the lives of his customers. To his customersand vendors, he was

pleased to know you. You made his life have purpose. He truly lived to serve, as his Saviour Jesus lived. To the residentsof Estevan

annd Weyburn, who welcomed him and made his family par t of their families, he could not have expressed his gratitude in a

tangible enough way. Thank you from all of us, the family of Stan Mickalishen.

God Bless.