Anton lyosifovich Rudkiewich was born on January 24, 1912 in
Shereshovo, Byelorussia. In 1915, the family of 4 children and parents sought
refuge from WWI by going to Novorossiysk. They traveled "chuck wagon"
style and endured starvation and other calamities on the way. Once in Novorossiysk,
life was good, but with the Russian revolution, they felt compelled to return
to Shereshovo again, starving, but able to get back. Anna, Anton's oldest sister,
was able to barter her sewing skills for food items since all money was worthless
in the flux of the times. Back in their hometown, they lived mainly on "flour
soup" (a handful of four thrown into a pot of boiling water). Luckily,
they escaped the typhoid that was running rampant throughout Shereshovo. After
they reclaimed their land, the family planted tomato seeds that they had brought
back from Novorossiysk and their neighbors laughed in derision. Some of the
neighbors stole one of these strange vegetable that they had never seen before
and, after a taste, wanted to grow them too. Thus, the Rudkiewich family introduced
the tomato to their town!
After 1918 Brest-Litovsk treaty, their part of Byelorussia was given to Poland.
Anton went to a Polish school and finished the 5* grade at which time his father
asked the school to release him from further studies so he could help work in
the family's tannery and shearing coat factory. Anton taught himself how to
read and write Russian at home. At 16, Anton applied to go to Argentina but
did not have the required funds. On February 28, 1932, Anton married Olga Pavlovna
Kalineiko. He following June 1933, Leonilla (Lillian) was born, hi 1937, Jon
was born.
In 1938, Anton and family immigrated to Canada. They sold all of their belongings,
but were held up in Warsaw, Poland where they were told they could not go to
Canada until Anton's varicose veins were treated and Olga required glasses.
Only healthy married people were allowed into Canada at that time. They were
permitted to live in the Jewish Ghetto at the Polish Immigration Department's
expense because the hotels in the Jewish section were the least expensive.
After 2 months, the Rudkiewich family was allowed to immigrate and they arrived
in New Westminster, ΒΡ on September 21, 1938. The family was greeted there by
Olga's sister and brother-in-law, Sam and Sonia Lewluch.
Anton and Olga worked very hard to raise $500 to buy 4 acres of stumps and brush
which they cleared themselves. Anton worked in a logging camp where he had to
bribe the foreman 25 cents a day in order to keep his job. During this time,
Anton received the awful word that his 4 year old son Jon had fallen into a
small well and drowned (March 2, 1941). After this tragedy, Anton went to work
at the Mill, came home, slept perhaps 3 hours a night, and then went back to
clearing away the stumps and burning huge piles everyday. Once the land was
cleared, Anton and Olga planted strawberries, raspberries, their own vegetable
garden and raised a cow, pigs, chickens, geese and ducks. It was a small farm,
but it produced much food and it was a happy place.
Another tragedy struck the family in 1953, when Anastasia (Nancy- born February
9, 1943) was diagnosed with paralytic polio. Anisia (Anita) born February 3,
1946 was not affected, thank God. His entire family lived life as normally as
possible. Nancy, because of the family's love and support, was able to finish
high school and graduate from UBC despite being in a wheel chair and UBC not
being wheelchair accessible back then. The family left no stone unturned in
order for Nancy to have as full a life as possible.
Anton and Olga worked hard al of their lives. Anton retired from Fraser Mills
in 1977, after 37 years. On August 26, 1988, the family suffered the loss of
Olga due to a heart attack
The entire Rudkiewich family always attended the Orthodox Church and sang in
the choir. Before the new Holy Resurrection Church was built, Anton and Olga,
Sam and Sonia Lewluch cleared the blackberry business and other brambles from
the huge future site for the church- a difficult job- but our heroes did it!
Olga used to prepare a lunch at the Church almost every Sunday- s well as any
Sunday when others could not. Anton and Olga loved the church with all of their
might and always helped out in any way they could.
In March 1999, Anton went into congestive heart failure. It has occurred twice
more, but with good medical care and medication Anton is still with us- thank
God. He still works in his garden, but he no longer plants "victory"
garden on all of his available land.
Anton and the late Olga, have 8 grandchildren who have produced 9 great-grandchildren-
with 2 more expected this year.
May God bless this amazing man always and let us have him with us a while longer
so he may continue to share his smile and kindness with us. God grant Anton
many years!!!