Christina (Tina) Marie Mariash

Peacefully, at home, with her husband at her side, the Servant of God, Christina Mariash, fell asleep in the Lord, on Wednesday, November 18, 2020.

Christina was born in a little log cabin on the Brokenhead Reserve, Scanterbury on August 7, 1948. Tina   received her primary education in the on-reserve two room school. At age 14, she went to live with her grandparents in Winnipeg. Returning to Scanterbury a few years later, she found employment as the first Band Manager for the Brokenhead Band when the “Indian Agent” was first devolved to the bands in the mid-60’s. When an opportunity arose for an aboriginal Teacher’s Aide at Happy Thought School, East Selkirk, Tina applied and happily filled that position. She had found her true vocation as a teacher. Through BUNTEP, a teacher training program offered by Brandon University, Tina, over the course of several years, obtained her Bachelor of Education degree. It was during her teacher training at Brandon University that she met the love of her life, Leonard, who happened to be at a Principal’s Conference in Brandon. A long distance courtship ensued with Christina teaching in Bloodvein First Nation and Leonard serving as principal in the First Nation community of Oxford House. They married the next summer, on August 10, 1980, in Leonard’s childhood church, Holy Trinity Church, in the Beausejour Pioneer Village. Two kids who grew up along the Brokenhead River, began their 40 years of married life in Garden Hill First Nation where their much loved son began his life.   They moved to Winnipeg in 1985 and became deeply involved with the St. Anne Ukrainian Catholic Church. Tina joined the St. Anne Branch of the U.C.W.L.C. and spent many happy hours helping with the many Ladies League projects. She often remembered Mikey’s warning of making sure that the potatoes were peeled just right.  She served as Branch President for one year, but her love for teaching beckoned. She then went on to teach in the First Nation communities of Little Grand Rapids, St. Theresa Point, Brokenhead and Opaskwiak.  Unfortunately, her health did not allow her to continue

Tina was a wonderful lady who made friends easily with her winning smile and people loving personality.  She loved jewelry, often admired by many, with the fingers on both hands often covered with her diamond rings.  A cat lover, she conceded to love our wiener dog, Stripe, and missed him very much. She loved to watch and talk about the antics of her “Mr. Squirrly” and the blue jays fighting for peanuts in the back yard.  Not a gardener herself, she insisted that potatoes be planted in our garden. To her, a meal wasn’t a meal unless potatoes were served. She loved playing cards especially cribbage.  She kept in phone contact with her many friends and relatives. The proudest and happiest time of her life was the birth of her son, Theodore.   She had expressed a wish, many times over, to have her body rest in St. Anne Church, the night before the funeral but this is not to be; her picture, will, however, rest by the Holy Family icon at the church on that night.

Christina is survived by her loving husband, Leonard and her devoted son, Theodore and fiancée Stefania.  Coming from a large family she is survived by her brothers and sisters, Louis, Cecil, Nancy, Adeline, Eva, Destiny and Sophie and numerous nieces and nephews.

A nephew, Michael, and a niece, Theresa, Sixties Scoop kids, were especially dear to her heart. She was predeceased by her parents Mary Ann (nee Chief) and Walter Olson and brothers and sisters Patricia, Sybil, Emma, Abert, John, George and Joseph.

Special thanks to our neighbours Ron and Michelle Schur, my sister Marge, for their friendship and for all the help over the past few months.  Thank you to Anne Penonzek for her friendship and to Anne and Fr. Allan for serving communion to Tina at home.

The beautiful Ukrainian Catholic funeral service, Parastas, will be celebrated with the immediate family at Sobering Funeral Chapel.  Interment will follow at the St. Peter and St. Paul Ukrainian Catholic cemetery in Thalberg.  A larger celebration of life will follow in the new year.

Farewell, my love, but not goodbye. You don’t have to suffer anymore.

“To your servant, O Lord, who has fallen asleep, grant rest in a place of light, a place of verdure and a place of tranquility, from which pain, sorrow and mourning have fled.”

Vichnaya Pam’yat!

www.soberingfuneralchapel.com

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