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With sad hearts the family of Mary Soukoroff, of Castlegar, wishes to announce her passing at Talarico Place Care Centre, with her daughter Marge by her side, on Thursday, February 19, 2015, blessed with 88 years of life. Mary was born in Grand Forks on August 15, 1926 to parents Sam and Tina Strukoff . She grew up in the Doukhobour Sion Community at the Horkoff Village. Mary attended classes at the Fructova School and also attended Russian School. She was an imaginative child, and she and her friends found many ways to amuse themselves. In her early teens, she enjoyed swimming, sledding, singing in choirs, going to movies and baseball games. In her later teens, Mary worked at various canneries and packing houses in the Osoyoos, Oliver and Penticton areas. In 1951, Mary married Fred George Soukoroff of Pass Creek. The young family lived in Pass Creek, Grand Forks and Fife, finally settling in Grand Forks. After Mary and Fred parted, she worked outside the home and raised the children. Mary was a member of the USCC and was a member of the cooking and lapsha groups and the Ladies Choir. She was an excellent cook, seamstress, an avid gardener and especially loved her flower garden. Mary enjoyed reading, crocheting and travelling and made many visits to her children wherever they were at the time. In 2011, Mary suffered the loss of her youngest daughter Natasha to cancer and soon her health declined and she moved to Castlewood. As her health declined further she then moved to Talarico Place Care Centre. Left to mourn her loss is her daughter Marge (Peter) Perepolkin of Glade, her son Fred (Cheryl) of Nanaimo, her daughter Mary (Larry) Shave of Calgary and her son Sam of Grand Forks; 5 grandchildren; 5 great grandchildren; her sister Dorothy (Peter) Chernoff and many nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends. Funeral Services were officiated by Jerry Seminoff at the Grand Forks USCC Centre on Friday, February 27, 2015 followed by the interment in the Sion Cemetery. The family of Mary Soukoroff would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone attending the service, friends and relatives who traveled from afar, and the Grand Forks Community. Our relatives, friends, and neighbours for their kind expressions of sympathy, phone calls, cards, donations, food and visits. Thank you to John Verigin Jr. and Laura Verigin and family for your kind and comforting words. Thank you to Jerry Seminoff for guidance and officiating the service. A special thank you to Mike and Shirley Sookochoff for your loving and heartwarming help, it was very much appreciated. Thank you to Faye and John Malins for your advice and support. Thank you to the psalmists and singers for your wonderful singing, to the ladies cooking group for the preparation and serving of the delicious meal, to the bread committee and the lapsha committee, and to the hard working men who prepared Mom’s final resting place. Thank you to Dr Ellen Smart who was always there for Mary when needed. Thank you to Bill Strilaeff and the staff of Castlegar Funeral Home for their professional service and assistance. Thank you to the Castlewood Village staff for making Mary welcome in her new home. A special thank you to the staff of Talarico Place for the love, care, kindness and comfort they gave Mom during her stay there. You were an extended part of her family.



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