On Friday, July 19th, there was a cousins reunion for descendants of John and Nastia Masiowski held at St. Charles Catholic Parish in Winnipeg. There were over 60 family members and friends who came from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec to the event.
Opening remarks were given by Brad Masiowski (son of Frank Masiowski) and closing remarks by Marilyn Moore (daughter of Pauline Johnston). There was a family meet and greet, conversation, stories, and music shared.
I gave a short presentation on the early family history that covered John and Nastia’s immigration from their village in Ukraine, early family life on the homesteads, and other interesting tidbits. I created a pdf document to go along with this presentation that can be downloaded.
This booklet is focused on John and Nastia with some information on their ancestors and their children. More information is required! Please send your information, pictures, stories, etc.
Below is a collection of images from the event. There are 3 galleries to view, one with general images, one of the tables and families, and lastly the generation pictures with the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of John and Nastia.
Robert Bohdan Klymasz (1936 – ) was born in Toronto in 1936 and is a Ukrainian-Canadian folklorist. He was the executive director of the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre, an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies, and a curator at the Museum of Civilization.
I highly recommend reading the following article, A Visit to the Ukrainian Museum and Library, by Thomas Prymak about his visit to the Oseredok in Winnipeg. His article talks about the treasured texts found there as well as his visits and chats with Ukrainian-Canadian scholars including Robert Klymasz.
The reason I’m sharing this information is because one of my cousins stumbled on to the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives where our great-grandmother Anastasia Masiowski nee Kotlarchuk (1891-1976) has 32 songs and stories recorded when Robert Klymasz visited Fork River on July 20th, 1964. The archive indicates there are 36 songs and stories but 4 of them have been mislabeled as they are sung by Walter Pasternak.
I’ve organized the 32 items alphabetically in the Cyrillic alphabet and linked each one separately.
I was curious as to whether any of the recordings were used in Robert Klymasz’ publications and I found 2 songs from my great-grandmother in his books which I pulled from the University of Manitoba’s Slavic Collection at the Elizabeth Dafoe Library. I’ve marked them in the chart for easy identification and included the musical notation and lyrics from the books in both English and Ukrainian.
It’s so interesting to hear my ancestor’s voice from beyond the grave!
There are additional records from the Robert Klymasz collection at the University of Manitoba’s archives that I’d like to pull in the future. I hope there are more translations of her songs and stories that just didn’t make it into a publication.
Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives – Kule Folklore Centre, Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta.
1 Published in Ukrainian Folksongs from the Prairies. Complied under the direction of the collector with the participation of Andrij Hornjatkevyč, Bohdan Medwidsky, and Paula Prociuk. Collected by Robert B. Klymasz. Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies Press. University of Alberta. 1992.
2 Published in The Ukrainian Winter Folksong Cycle in Canada. Robert B. Klymasz. Ottawa. 1970.
Old Country Songs
Nastja Masiowsky – Fork River, Manitoba – 20 July 1964
Old Country Songs. Song 12. Ukrainian Folksongs from the Prairies. 1992. p. 29.
«На день добрий Штефанова, Ой чи є твiй Штефан дома?»
«Ой нема Штефана вдома, Ще вечеря не готова.»
«Ой чи вийдеш вiдтворяти, Чи скажеш ся добувати?»
«Ой не вийду я втворяти, Не скажу ся добувати.
В мене дсверi тисовiï, В мене замки стальовiï.»
«Як пiдложу праве плече, Не поможуть эамки твоï, Не поможуть дверi твоï.»
Як пiдложив праве плече, Його куля в саме серце.
«Ой ви хлопцi бай молодцi, Вiэьмiть мене на топорцi.
Эамесiть м’я в Буковину, Де-м ся вродив, най там эгину.
Було ходити та и буяти, Суцi правди не скаэати.»
By the small green grove Goes the young Dovbuš.
He limps on [one] foot He rests on his ace as on a cane.
“Quickly, men, quickly, quickly, Soon snow will fall and cover our path.
“Let’s make our way to Dzvinka, To the wife of Štefan.
“Greetings, o wife of Štefan, Is Štefan, your husband, home?”
“Štefan is not home yet, The supper is not ready.”
“Will you open up willingly, Or am I to force my way in?”
“I shall not open up, Nor will I let you force yourself in.
“I have doors made of yew, I have locks made of steel.”
“When I brace my shoulder against the door, Your locks will not help, Your doors will not help.”
When he braced his shoulder to the door, A bullet hit him straight in the heart.
“O my men, you young stalwarts, Take me up on on your axe [handles],
And take me to Bukovyna, Let me die where I was born.
I should have gone roaming Instead of telling that bitch the truth.”
Old Country Songs. Song 12. Ukrainian Folksongs from the Prairies. 1992. p. 29.
III. 3. The Ukrainian Winter Folksong Cycle in Canada. 1970. p. 139.
NOTE: Singers often grope for the pitch and metre at the beginning of songs. If this song had had more verses, the singer would probably have established a triple metre throughout. The bar 4/8 time would then be sung in 38. [Kenneth Peacock.]
Там на горбочку там вогонь горе Там дiвчина пироги варит. А з стрiхи тиче на ïï пличе, А з носа каптит, пироги мастит!
There on a hillhock burns a fire, And a maiden’s there cooking dumplings. The thatched roof is leaking onto her shoulder And from her nose it’s dripping and buttering the dumplings.
III. 3. The Ukrainian Winter Folksong Cycle in Canada. 1970. p. 139.
This is a typical ditty sung by the mummers to underscore Malanka’s abilities as a housekeeper and cook.
From Mowat and Beyond 