Chebree, Alexander and Katrina

Both Alexander and Catrina were born in Toporoutz, Bucovina, Austria. Alexander was born on March 17, 1872. Catrina (née Revega) was born June 9, 1876. They were married Nov. 3, 1896 in Toporoutz. The following year they decided to emigrate to Canada.

In spring 1897 they arrived in South Edmonton (Strathcona). From there they were transported by covered wagon to Andrew where like all immigrants they spent the winter in a bordei. Next year they set¬tled a mile north of Boian Marea School and lived there till Sandyk passed away in August, 1943.
They raised a family of two boys and two girls. A son Toder died of diphtheria at the age of seven. Since they lived among Romanian people, the children all learned Romanian and spoke it fluently. The two girls Dochija and Marica both married Romanian boys. John the oldest son married Veronica Rusnak and Mike the youngest married Sandra Shymko. The whole family was involved in community activities and were well liked and respected by the Romanians.
Sandyk, as he was known, had many friends in Boian, too. He served in the Austrian army at the same time as Vasile Toma and there they learned the Ger¬man language. Often the two would meet and remin¬isce about the old land and review at the same time their German. Sandyk, being Orthodox, helped to build the Boian Church. He hauled logs and during the Christmas season, he and a group of Romanian friends went as far as Smoky Lake to carol in the homes of some of his Ukrainian friends, in order to collect funds for the church building fund.
In the fall of 1918 at the height of the Spanish flu, Sandyk and his oldest son John travelled in a model T Ford unheated, from house to house where whole families were ill. They brought in firewood and water and a bit of whiskey bought with a prescription in Vegreville, and possibly garlic, the only known medication at the time. Wearing masks over their faces as required by law, they travelled to many homes and helped the ill.
Mike Chebree says that after living in Boian for 35 years, he still calls it home. He always took part in school activities, the Romanian church choir, the Christmas concerts, the Christmas celebration and was secretary-treasurer of the school for a number of years. He still calls it home. Mike passed away in 1985.