(Stanislawa) Barbara Milejszo nee Sikora

Our sweet mama took flight in the wee hours of a new day infused with love and compassion. With 96 years of life packed in her bags and blessed with springtime at her heels she’s now free of worldly strife and watching over us all with a big smile.

As the last remaining family member of her generation she rejoins her parents, 2 brothers and 5 sisters as well as 3 of her 5 children: Christoper, Barbara and Witold. Anessa and Andrew are left to cherish all their memories along with cousins Teresa, Walter, Dana and Irena. Also keeping her in their hearts are 7 grandchildren: Tristan, Sky, Dustin, David, Evan, Julian and Neera as well as 2 great grandchildren: Eddy and Linden and 3 daughters-in-law Diane, Praiya and Margaret.

Barbara as she preferred to be called was born in the small village of Kobylowka near then Tarnopol, Poland. She grew up to be a young teenager when the Russian invasion from the east destroyed life as she knew it. Her life from then on was one of horrific strife and trauma, surviving a Gulag labour camp only to lose more than half her family en route away from Siberia. She and her 2 sisters somehow made their way across Asia to the Middle East, through Pakistan and India arriving finally to a Polish refugee camp in Masindi, Uganda. There she survived malaria, joined the Royal Air Force and arrived in England. The war nearly over she married and immigrated to Argentina where she lived for 6 years and her first 2 children were born. In 1953 the family immigrated to Winnipeg to join her brother Jack and his family. 3 more children came along by 1963. Barbara was the backbone of the family photography business and well recognized for her skill in photo restoration and oil painting of black and white portraits. She was sought out by many colleagues and won awards for her work. Her love of flowers shone through in her beautiful gardens on Glenwood Crescent. She loved to sing and her high soprano voice graced the Sokol Polish Choir and St. Cecilia Choir for many years. She kept up Polish cultural traditions and her delicious pieroszki, kopytka and golabki were a mainstay of every family get together.

After retirement she moved and lived independently for many years at McClure Place. Sadly her physical and mental abilities slowly declined and she moved into supportive housing and finally into a care home. Thankfully, though the dementia progressed, she was herself all the way to the end always thanking her care providers and thinking of her family, enjoying conversations and a good piece of pie with a cup of TH’s double double.

Despite of or perhaps because of the hardship and suffering she endured she was a lover of life, happy and bubbly with a genuine laugh and generous heart. Her strength, courage and determination was fuelled by a strong love- for life, for her children, for her god, and all things good and beautiful. She overcame all the challenges life presented to not only survive but create a very good life worth living. Her legacy is that she did this not only for herself but for her children whom she loved more than life itself and through them her grandchildren and now her great grandchildren who all live in abundance and peace.

We are forever grateful to the loving care, patience and compassion she was shown by the nurses, health care aides and support staff at Calvary Place Personal Care home. You became her family and truly are angels.

A Catholic funeral mass and burial was held on April 12. If you wish, a donation in her name can be made to Calvary Place Personal Care Home.

Wieczny odpoczynek racz jej dac Panie