Orest Mulessa

With sadness, the family announces the passing of Orest Mulessa, age 88, on February 22, 2025, in Neepawa hospital.

Orest was born November 9, 1936, to William and Ann (Romaniuk) Mulessa, their fourth of nine children.

Orest attended school at Pine River but quit in his early teens (Grade 9). That winter he cut pulp in the swamp.

In his younger years he travelled to Northern Manitoba in winters for employment. He was employed on CN extra gang as a “bull” cook, construction of the DEW line and packing fish at Lynn Lake.

Summers were spent on the family farm from seeding to harvest.

Orest, being the eldest son at home, felt responsible for helping his parents on the farm.

After a few years of going North for winter work, Orest decided to stay at home on the farm.

He then began dating the beautiful and hard-working daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Parsons. They were engaged in July of 1962 and married on September 1, 1962, at Pine River.

Their marriage was blessed with three children: Dennis, Linda and Arnold.

For the first while they lived with Orest’s parents on the Mulessa family farm.

In the fall of 1964, they, along with their little son, Dennis, travelled to Port Alberni, BC where Orest spent the winter planting trees. They returned home in the spring to settle on the family farm.

Farming and logging in the Duck Mountains became their life for the next number of years, until Orest injured his back. The decision was made to sell the farm and move to Dauphin. Orest then secured work with a Keld area farmer.

In 1983, Orest and Marilyn returned to Pine River and began logging in the Duck Mountains as a sub-contractor, employing his son Dennis, in this enterprise.

Eventually, his wife Marilyn worked in the bush with them. During this time, they made their home in the village of Pine River.

For some years, they fostered their grandchildren. They fostered their grandson until his high school graduation in 2007.  The next year they sold their Pine River home and returned to Dauphin to live.

Orest retired from bush work in the early 1990’s and worked for a local farmer for a couple of years and then the following 18 years helping a farmer in the Garland area until Orest completely retired at the age of 75.

He spent his retirement years at his home in Dauphin until he passed away.

Orest was predeceased by his parents, William and Ann, baby daughter Linda, brothers Anthony and Nestor, two sisters Sylvia Chipney and Connie McConnell and several other family members.

He is survived by his wife Marilyn (62 years of marriage), sons Dennis (Margaret) and Arnold and grandchildren Lindi (Shawn) Kuzyk, Derek (Samantha) and great granddaughters Shaylynn and Danika, as well as brothers Myron (Loretta), Ron (Gloria), Terry (Lorna) and Ray (Linda), sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, numerous nieces and nephews and extended family.

Orest believed in hard work, being frugal and had a stubborn streak. As hard as life became, he never complained. In retirement he enjoyed visiting and sharing coffee with family and friends who would drop by.

A Funeral Service was held for Orest on Monday, March 3, 2025 at 11:00 am from the Sneath-Strilchuk Family Care Centre in Dauphin with Pastor Scott Allen officiating.  

A Public Viewing will be held from 10:00 am to 10:45 am on March 3, 2025 from the Sneath-Strilchuk Family Care Centre.

Interment followed in the Fletcher Cemetery in Pine River, Manitoba.

Should friends so desire, donations in memory of Orest may be made to Fletcher Cemetery in Pine River, Manitoba. 

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