Donwell West/Sklaruk's Church Cemetery Fund

The Donwell West/Sklaruk’s Church Cemetery Fund was established to:

ensure the long-term care, preservation, and dignity of this cemetery site. Maintaining a rural cemetery is an ongoing responsibility. Grass must be cut, weeds controlled, and the grounds kept safe, respectful, and welcoming for families, descendants, and visitors. Costs like these continue year after year, even as fewer descendants live nearby and fewer volunteers are available to carry out the work; and
preserve and celebrate the history of Donwell West/Sklaruk Church and the families connected to it. Through an online website, stories, photographs, cemetery records, and memories of our ancestors can remain accessible to future generations.

Recognizing the need for a sustainable plan, a Steering Committee was formed in 2024 to determine how the cemetery could continue to be maintained when volunteers were no longer able to perform the necessary work. Through its efforts, a lasting partnership was created between the Saskatchewan Community Foundation and the Rural Municipality of Sliding Hills.

The Fund provides a sustainable source of financial support for the maintenance of the cemetery and a website celebrating church families.

It offers descendants and donors a meaningful way to honour their roots and ensure that this sacred place remains cared for and that the legacy of those who came before us, is remembered with dignity and respect.

The Fund provides a sustainable source of financial support for the maintenance of the cemetery and a website celebrating church families.

A Legacy That Lives On ~

Donwell West/Sklaruk’s Church Cemetery Fund

For more than a century, the Holy Transfiguration Ukrainian Orthodox Church Cemetery (Donwell West/Sklaruk’s) has stood as a place of remembrance, faith, and family. Nestled on the Saskatchewan prairie, within the R.M. of Sliding Hills, it is far more than a resting place—it is a living testament to the courage and sacrifice of the early Ukrainian settlers who built churches, established communities, and created opportunities for future generations. The parish was established in 1904, and the cemetery has served generations of families ever since.

Many of us no longer live where our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents once farmed, but our connection to the Donwell area remains. Every visit to the cemetery reminds us that our family story began here. The names etched into the monuments are those of pioneers who endured hardship, preserved their faith, and passed on the values of perseverance, generosity, and community.

Today, the responsibility of caring for this sacred place rests with us.

Maintaining a rural cemetery is an ongoing commitment. Grass must be mowed and the grounds preserved with dignity and respect. These costs continue year after year, even as fewer descendants remain in the immediate area. Without thoughtful planning and financial support, it becomes increasingly difficult to ensure that future generations will find the cemetery as beautiful and well cared for as we do today.

Fortunately, in 2024 a Steering Committee was formed to formulate a plan when volunteers could no longer perform the necessary maintenance. A partnership between the Saskatchewan Community Foundation and the RM of Sliding Hills has been created in perpetuity to ensure the cemetery is well maintained and our ancestors’ memory celebrated on a website.

One of the most meaningful ways to honour your family’s legacy is by donating to the Donwell West/Sklaruk’s Church Cemetery Fund. A gift today helps provide the resources needed for ongoing maintenance and preservation. An even greater legacy can be created by including the Cemetery Fund in your Will or estate plan. Planned gifts, regardless of their size, become a lasting expression of gratitude to those who came before us and an investment in those who will come after us. If making a gift in our Will, please indicate the beneficiary to be “Donwell West/Sklaruk’s Church Cemetery Fund in care of the Saskatchewan Community Foundation.”

A charitable gift through your estate can also provide tax advantages while allowing your family’s values to live on through permanent support of this historic cemetery. Your legacy becomes part of the continuing story of Donwell—a story of faith, family, and community.

Whether your ancestors are buried in Donwell, you were baptized or married in the parish, or you simply wish to honour the sacrifices of Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian pioneers, your support will ensure that this sacred place continues to inspire future generations.

Together, we can preserve more than a cemetery—we can preserve our heritage, our history, and the legacy of the families who built this community. Your gift today, or through your Will tomorrow, will help ensure that the story of Donwell West/Sklaruk’s Church Cemetery continues for the next hundred years.

Thank you to Ernie Anuik and family whose donation made construction of a sign board at the cemetery site possible and to Steering Committee Members: Adeline Procyshen, Sharon Sobkow(Romaniuk) Larry German, John Denysek and Sheldon Lozinski.

A History of The Holy Transfiguration Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Donwell West/Sklaruk’s Church

The history of this parish began in 1897 when the first wave of Ukrainian settlers arrived in the area to take up homesteading.

By 1903, the people organized and decided to build a church on a farm 2 miles SW of Donwell. A four-acre parcel of land, situated on SE 20-29-3-W2, was donated by Wasyl Sklaruk. Construction began in 1904 and was completed in 1906. Tamarack logs and clay were used in the construction of the church. The original belfry housed two cast iron bells. A small one- room house, with only a bed, small table and wood-burning stove, was built for a priest to use if required. The priest’s house and a stable stood NE of the church. The main carpenters were Wasyl Sklaruk and Todor Olynyk. The first trustees were Gabora, Sklaruk, Olynyk and Anaka.

The icons for the iconostas, which were painted by Andrew Haikovski, an artist in Kiciliv, Bukovina, arrived in 1907. The frames, also by Haikovski, arrived in1911. The Holy Shroud, which came from Kyiv, was donated by Wasyl Skibinsky. The first banner, which came from Ukraine, was paid for by a group of men who went out carolling. The exterior white cross in front of the church was later donated by Mikhaylina Krytorek (nee Skibinski).

As the years went by, so did the needs of the people. In 1963, the women’s aide purchased a former airport building, remodeling it into a hall. In 1967, they purchased an old school, adding it on to the existing hall. The extended facility enabled the parishioners to hold a variety of social functions such as teas, fall suppers, feast day and memorial dinners, bingos, and blessing Easter baskets indoors.

Renovations were done to the interior of the church around 1967. Pews replaced the benches; wall panelling covered the wallpaper; rugs were laid over the linoleum. The choir loft was removed. The dome was sealed off. A new Tetrapod was built and placed in front of the Holy Doors. Renovations were done periodically to the exterior of the church and to the original belfry.

In 2025, Donwell West/Sklaruk’s Church received a generous donation from Adeline Procyshen, given in memory of her late husband, Avery, and her in-laws, Petro and Petrunia Procyshen. The legacy funds provided for new church siding; paint for the church windows, door, and fascia; paint for the belfry, the outdoor cross, the hall doors, windows and front wall; and repairs to the hall soffits and fascia.

Two milestone anniversaries were celebrated. The congregation hosted 300 guests at the 80th Anniversary (August 19 th , 1984) and 228 guests at the 100th Anniversary (August 19, 2004).

Years later, the date for the Feast of the Holy Transfiguration was changed from the 19 h to August 6th, in accordance with the Gregorian Calendar.

Two milestone anniversaries were celebrated. The congregation hosted 300 guests at the 80th Anniversary (August 19 th , 1984) and 228 guests at the 100th Anniversary (August 19, 2004).

Years later, the date for the Feast of the Holy Transfiguration was changed from the 19 h to August 6th, in accordance with the Gregorian Calendar.

We acknowledge the Reverend Fathers who served here: Zazuliak, Kokolski, Tokaruk, Falowski, Kowalchuk, Moseychuk, Volohatuk, Maranyst,Mandzuk, Bodnarchuk, Diachyna, Sluzar, Stoliarchuk, Kernitski, Udod,Puk, Olesiuk, Stinka, Pozniak, Czurak, Berezniak, Anhel, Lomaszkiewich, Pawlinsky, Faryna, Tsenov and Obukh.

The first cantor was Yakiv Kuziak. Others included Dmytro Romaniuk, George Bordun, Steve Makowsky and Zennovia Duch.

Many changes have taken place over time. Many people have come and gone. Our hope is that families continue to visit the church and the cemetery at Donwell West/Sklaruk’s Church.

Disclaimer:

This history was obtained from newspapers, written articles, online information, and oral recollections. We apologize for any spelling errors, incorrect information, and omissions that could have occurred.