It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Molly F. Pankoff. On Thursday, February 9, 2017 Molly passed away peacefully at the Ivy House in the Silver Kettle Care Home. She was 91 years old.
Molly was born on November 16, 1925 in Verigin, Saskatchewan to parents Fred and Mary Perepolkin. Molly grew up on a farm in Verigin alongside her older siblings, Bill and Christina and younger brother Nick. During this time Molly attended the Tolstoi School.
In 1936 the family loaded into a single pickup truck and left their farm in Verigin to settle in Grand Forks, B.C. While in Grand Forks, Molly attended school with her younger brother Nick until the age of 15, at which time, Molly decided to quit school and pursue work in the Okanagan. Molly first obtained a job at the Summerland fruit packing house, and then later went to Kelowna to work in the orchards; it was here that she met her future husband John Pankoff.
Molly and John dated for a couple of years and married on the 17th of April, 1945. As a young married couple, Molly and John lived on John’s parents’ farm and grew vegetables. It was here that they started their family: daughters Elaine and Margaret and son John. In 1958 the family moved into a home downtown where John and Molly opened up John’s Paint Shop.
Molly worked alongside John in the paint shop and in 1965 she became a waitress and a cook at the Yale Hotel. She was an exceptional cook both at work and at home. Through the course of her years working at the Yale she very well liked and enjoyed the camaraderie with all her fellow employees.
Molly was an excellent seamstress. She sewed Russian suits, wedding gowns, knitted and crocheted. Molly maintained a huge garden and well-manicured yard full of beautiful flowers. There was never a shortage of her bounty of fruits and vegetables. Molly was also a very active volunteer. Molly enjoyed cooking for weddings and funerals at the USCC and helping organize bake sales and fundraisers for the Hardy View Ladies’ Auxiliary. Above all else, Molly loved to sing. She was a member of the Ladies Choir and the Friendship Choir. A special treat was when she would yodel for us.
During her life, Molly travelled to many places. Molly visited Arizona, California and Mexico with her husband John. She visited Dr. Jensen’s Health Farm in California for a month with Laura Verigin. And she travelled with Pauline Makortoff and Bill and Liz Pepin to Mexico. In her later years after her husband John passed away Molly enjoyed her companionship with Scotty Verigin. They had many good times together travelling and enjoying their families.
Molly’s door was always open and she was always a very gracious hostess, no one ever left hungry and her food was amazing. She always had a happy heart and a smile on her face. We will miss her New Year’s Day dinners when her speciality was varennki with a dime hidden in one.
Molly was predeceased by her parents Fred and Mary, husband John, brothers Bill, Nick and Archie and son-in-law’s Dennis Rezansoff and Brian Williams. She will be remembered and sorely missed by her daughters Elaine and Maggie (husband Gordon), and son John (wife Irene). Grandchildren: Jason Rezansoff (wife Tammy), Derek Pankoff (wife Jade), Bryan Pankoff, Colette Pankoff, Justin Frank (wife Rhianna), and Danielle Frank (fiancee Kelly). Great-grandchildren: Ashlynn, Kaitlynn, and Jacquelyn Rezansoff, Alexi and Dallas Pankoff, Sienna and Jasmine O’Shaughnessy, Landon, Cameron and Kaydon McKay, Savannah, Hollis and Hudson Frank and sister Christina Medvedoff.
May God accept her into His Heavenly Kingdom. Rest in Peace.
Funeral services were officiated by Larry Jmaiff at the USCC Community Centre on February 18, 2017, with interment at the Sion Cemetary, Grand Forks Funeral Home was in care of the arrangements. Memorial donations can be made to the ISKRA.