DAD helped build the Church . . . and Russian CABBAGE SALAD

In 1927, homesteaders could get a quarter section of land for $10.00 in Petlura, an area about 50 miles away from Dauphin, Manitoba.   My father, Nick Stadnyk, was among the first to buy in.    

Two of Nick’s married brothers, Paul 

and Kasian (Sam), moved to Petlura as well.   

Dad’s sister’s husband, Tom Bewza, also claimed a homestead, 

but Tom already had a farm at Oakburn and just wanted the Petlura land as an investment.

      Source:  

However, Tom Bewza cleared and gave four acres of the land to the Ukrainian Greek-Orthodox parish of Petlura for a future church site and cemetery.  

The first church was really tiny so in 1942 preparations began for a new church.  "February 1942, William (Bill) Stadnyk and Nick Stadnyk [Dad] journeyed with a team of horses north of Shortdale to the Duck Mountains, along with Mike Semchych and Frank Presniak, to cut the first set of logs for the future church."   

This meant Mom was left at home to look after the children and tend the livestock!  Six children were born to Mom and Dad on that Petlura homestead.  Mom said those were good years in spite of the Depression.   Instead of coffee, they had chicory, but that didn’t bother them.  They had a nice house; great for entertaining because the bedrooms were on an upper floor. 

Marion Turetski wrote that special dinners were held at the homes of parish members in order to raise money for the building fund.   She notes that one such dinner was held by "the Stadnyk family", although the first name was not recorded. 

Dad also served on the Executive Board of the Church in 1942 and 1945 as an auditor and in 1943 as the Vice President.  

Then, about 1948, Dad decided to sell and move to Gilbert Plains.  In hindsight, that was not the right thing to do because the Petlura land was good, albeit stony, and Mom and Dad were prospering. 

*******

WHITE CABBAGE SALAD  (serves 4 to 6)

            From:  KYRA’S SECRETS OF RUSSIAN COOKING by Kyra Petrovskaya, c1961

1 ¼ pounds white cabbage

1/3 cup vinegar

¾ tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salad oil

·        Slice cabbage and cut it up.

·        Put it into a pot and add salt and vinegar.

·        Simmer slowly, occasionally stirring until the cabbage becomes soft and shrinks.  This will take at least 15 minutes.

·        Cool the cabbage and add sugar and oil.

·        Serve at room temperature or out of the fridge.

I liked this as a piquant side dish, but I also just ate it on its own!  Yes, it is Yum!