Madeleine Marcelle Makar

With great sadness, the family announces, on November 9, 2024, Madeleine Marcelle Makar (nee Kunycia), age 96, passed peacefully in her sleep. She was a resident of Rideau Personal Care Home in Brandon, Manitoba. 

Madeleine will be greatly missed. She had a terrific sense of humour, an infectious laugh, and was a good storyteller and jokester. She had unconditional love for everyone. She was Baba to all who knew her. She wouldn’t want us to mourn her passing, but to celebrate her life. Her favourite saying was, “No matter how many times you turn around your saraka, (butt) is always behind you!” 

She was born July 12, 1928 in Magnant, Aube, France. Of humble beginnings, she was the first child of Ukrainian parents. They fled Ukraine to France during the later Stalin era post World War One. They traveled from region to region looking for work. They found employment on different farms doing various jobs. Madeleine attended school in France until grade five. During her teenage years she lived through the horrors of World War II. She worked as a farm hand on various farms. One of her jobs was to make cheese. Also, helping out her parents, she would often take care of her sister who was 13 years younger. Although born in France, she never wanted to become a natural citizen of France. She was proud of her Ukrainian Heritage. She was fluent in both French and Ukrainian and understood some Polish too. 

On January 31, 1948 she married Thomas Makar. They moved to Chenois, France to live and start a family. In 1952, a pregnant Madeleine, Thomas and two children, along with her mother, father and sister immigrated to Canada by ship on the Queen Mary. It took three weeks to cross the Atlantic. They landed at Pier 21, in Halifax, Nova Scotia on January 6, 1952. Ill prepared for the harsh Canadian winter, they then traveled for three days by train to Winnipegosis, Manitoba where they settled. In March, she gave birth to their third child. She had four more children before they purchased farmland in 1961. They then made the move to their mixed farm in the Horyn district. One year later she gave birth to their eighth child.
 
Madeleine was very happy living on the farm, raising children and tending to the farm animals. She was a very strong woman. To support a large family, both she and her husband had to make difficult decisions. Her husband worked up north from fall to spring with Mid West Diamond Drilling in Thompson, MB while she stayed home managing the farm and her family. In the summer, they would plant a large garden and preserve food for the winter. They also raised cows, chickens, pigs and rabbits for food. In addition, she would preserve wild berries, mushrooms, and hunt for wild game. She would bake her own bread, six loaves every second or third day in a wood cook stove. There were many challenges and daily tasks were made difficult with coal / wood heating of the house, no running water nor indoor washroom facilities, having to heat water and cook on a wood cook stove, and laundry was done in the ringer washer and hung on the line to dry, but she persevered through it all. And in time she even overcame the language barrier, having taught herself how to speak, read and write English, which was no easy task. She worked very hard for a better life in Canada and on Dec 18, 1984 she became a Canadian Citizen.

In 1984 she and Thomas sold the farm and moved to Dauphin. In 1990 they traveled to Ukraine to visit Thomas’ family. After her husband passed in 1993, she started to travel. She enjoyed her freedom. She traveled to Australia twice. She enjoyed the plane ride and watching the clouds from above. Through the years she visited with each of her children across Manitoba, Alberta and the Yukon. In 2005, she moved to Brandon to be close to her daughter. 

She was very proud of her large family and often said that being around the grandchildren and great grandchildren kept her young. She did just that at her 96th birthday party in July, where much of her family was able to gather and celebrate.

Madeleine leaves behind, her cherished sons and daughters; John, (Allyson Highfield) of Wanless, MB; Dominique, (Sherry Dunning) of Lac Du Bonnet, MB; Marcel (a.k.a. Billy), (Suzanne Dupont) from Australia; Helen, (John Eliuk) of Calgary, AB; Mary Anne, (David Dirks) of Winnipeg, MB; Wladimir, (Janice Netherton) of Haines Junction, Yukon; Elizabeth (Tony Veloso) of Wanless, MB and Natalie Hrechka of Brandon, MB. She also leaves behind 18 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren. 

She was predeceased by her father Wassil Kunycia, her mother Maria Huculak (nee Sydor), her step-father Peter Huculak, her husband Thomas Makar, her sister Anna Bestelechman (nee Kunycia), brother-in-law John Bestelechman, her sister-in-law, Helene Puteaux (Marcel) in France, son-in-law Gordon Hrechka, her granddaughter-in-law, Jocelyn Makar (nee Hleck).

A Celebration of Life was held on Saturday November 16, 2024 at the Sneath-Strilchuk Funeral Chapel in Dauphin, MB with Kerri Chomenchuk officiating. Interment followed at the Riverside Cemetery.

Pallbearers were grandsons; Kevin Makar, Ryan Veloso, Eric Veloso, Daniel Veloso and great grandsons; Brendan Gilroy and Samson Makar. Honorary Pallbearers were all of Madeleine’s grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Should friends so desire, donations may be made in Madeleine’s memory to a charity of one’s choice.

Thank you to the staff of Rideau Personal Care Home for the care and comfort you have provided Madeleine.

Rest in peace Madeleine. You have left a big void in our lives. We were richer to have had you in our lives. Your spirit will live on in each of us. Love you forever and always.
 

A Funeral Service was held for Madeleine on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 2:00 pm from the Sneath-Strilchuk Family Care Centre in Dauphin with Kerri Chomanchuk officiating.  

Interment followed in the Riverside Cemetery in Dauphin, MB.

Should friends so desire, donations in memory of Madeleine may be made to a charity of ones choice.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Madeleine Marcelle Makar, please visit our floral store.