Rita Albina (Monka) Czarnecki

In Loving Memory of

Rita A. Czarnecki

1929 – 2014

Rita Albina Czarnecki was born December 9, 1929 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.  She was the oldest child of Charles and Alice (Hardy) Monka.  She and her siblings, Edwin and Georgina grew up on the family farm near McKim, Saskatchewan.  Rita spent her high school years attending a convent school in Yorkton where she graduated with a Grade 12 diploma.  She taught school on a teacher’s permit at Winona School in Shortdale, Manitoba for one year.  

During this time she met her husband William (Will).   Rita & Will married in October, 1949 and farmed for 28 years in Shortdale.  In 1977, Will’s health was poor so they retired from farming and built a house on 5^th Avenue in Roblin.  Will used lumber from trees that he cut down on his land and milled himself.

They were supposed to be retired, but Rita worked for many years in the Roblin Hospital doing housekeeping and in the kitchen.  She and Will also cleaned the old Roblin Credit Union and Coop store for several years.  Rita’s hard work over the years took a toll on her body and later in life she had a knee replacement.  With Rita’s limited mobility, the upkeep of the house became too much and they moved to the Roblin Apartments.   Will developed Alzheimer’s and in 2008 they moved into Fairview Home in Brandon.   In the early morning hours of March 19^th, 2014 Rita passed away peacefully. 

Rita worked tirelessly on the family farm.  Every year she raised 100 chickens and turkeys, which fed her family throughout the year.   On Sundays, her family enjoyed cabbage rolls and roast chicken that Rita killed and cleaned with her own hands.  Rita made the best perogies and her family all looked forward to Friday night, which was perogy night.   Monday was bread-baking day, when she’d usually bake at least 20 loaves.  The smell of fresh baked bread greeted her children when they arrived home from school.  If they were lucky, she’d save some dough for them and fry it up as an afterschool snack.  Rita always had a huge garden.  The basement wall of her farmhouse was lined with shelves of preserves that Rita canned during the summer and which her family would enjoy during the winter. 

Rita also sewed for herself and her daughters.  Her daughters always had matching outfits for special occasions that Rita had sewn on a foot operated sewing machine. 

Christmas with the family was celebrated on Christmas Eve, as is the Polish Tradition.  Christmas Day was reserved for Company when Rita would put on a traditional Polish spread for relatives and neighbours for lunch with a whole new crowd of people for supper.  No one ever left her house hungry. Even as adults, Rita always insisted that her children take care packages home.

In the summers, Rita and Will enjoyed driving the country roads of Shortdale inspecting crops.  Rita never drove and she was determined that her daughters would learn to drive.  Education was also important to Rita and she used to say, “she didn’t care how many years it took, all her children were graduating with a grade 12 diploma”.  Rita didn’t care to play board games or cards but she shone at Trivial Pursuit and she delighted at knowing the answer to a question that had stumped everyone else.  And Christmas was the time for jigsaw puzzles.

Rita enjoyed all crafts including knitting, crocheting, sewing, rug making, plastic canvas and quilting.  She often had a quilting frame set up in the basement.  When her children were cleaning up their house in Roblin, they found she had made enough quilts so that each child and grandchild received one.  Rita enjoyed going to craft sales.  Often, she would purchase an item, take it apart to see how it was made and then she’d replicate it.  Rita loved color, (any color) but blue, pink, purple and yellow were her favourites.  She also loved flowers.  Frequently, she would pair the two together and embellish her t-shirts, sometimes with interesting results. 

Visiting garage sales was a favourite pastime of Rita & Will.   They would bring home many a treasure from Roblin and also from Brandon, Winnipeg and Neepawa when they visited their children.  Rita’s collection included teacups, Depression glass, and Green Mountain Pottery.  Rita also enjoyed going for coffee with the ladies on Saturdays until her mobility became too difficult.  She always said that it was important to have lady friends.

Rita and Will weren’t travelers but when they first retired, they purchased a trailer, which they would tow to Madge Lake or Lake of the Prairies.  Rita used to enjoy staying at the trailer, as she said there was a lot less cleaning to do. Rita did enjoy the few trips she did take, such as her trip to Calgary and Banff, taking the bus with the ladies to Winnipeg to visit Folklorama, and travelling to Yellowknife to visit daughter Sharon and her family.  For Rita, these were adventures and she always made sure she had purchased souvenir spoons to remember them by.

Rita was proud of her children’s accomplishments and took an avid interest in what they and her grandchildren were doing.  They visited their children as often as they could.  Rita loved us all, but her greatest joys were her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren.

Rita is survived by her husband of 64 years, William (Will) in Fairview Home in Brandon; four children: Richard in Winnipeg, Ron and his wife Shelley of Elm Creek, Manitoba, Sharon and her husband Jim Otto of Edmonton, Alberta and Angela and her husband Gary Olson of Brandon.  She is also survived by seven grandchildren: Gail (Mark), Jason (Danielle), Tara (Darrell), Tyler, Chris, Stacey (Craig), Stephanie (Leo), and three great grandchildren, Billy, Carter and Blake.  She is also survived by her sister Georgina and brother-in-law Cleo Loster of Yorkton, brother Edwin and sister-in-law Darlaine Monka of Victoria and sister-in-laws Vicki and Flo Czarnecki of Winnipeg and numerous nieces and nephews. 

Rita was predeceased by her parents, Alice and Charlie Monka, parents-in-law, Michael and Antonia Czarnecki, and brother-in-law Mitch Czarnecki.

Prayer Vigil Service was held on Sunday, March 23, 2014 at 7:00 PM from the Chapel of Nairn–Chyz Funeral Home in Roblin.  

Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Monday, March 24, 2014 at 10:00 AM from the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Roblin with Rev. Fr. James Ahanku officiating. The Readings were read by Rose Arndt, Gail Daeninck, and Sharon Otto.   Angela Olson and Sharon Otto delivered the Eulogy.   Casket Bearers were Richard Czarnecki, Ron Czarnecki, Jason Czarnecki, Tyler Olson, Gary Olson and Jim Otto. 

Following the Interment at Roblin Catholic Cemetery, a Memorial Lunch was served by the CWL in the lower hall of the church.

I can no longer see you with my eyes

Touch you with my hands

But I will feel you in my heart forever.

NAIRN-CHYZ FUNERAL HOME

Entrusted with Arrangements

Roblin’s Only Locally Owned

and Family Operated Funeral Home

(204) 937-2111

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