Mihalcheon, George and Pachita

George and Pachija Mihalcheon were both born in Boian, Bucovina. George was born in 1864 and Pachija in 1867. They were married in Boian and five children were born there, Mike, Maria, Malesa, Kate and Floyd. The youngest was one year old when they decided to emigrate to Canada.

Following the route that other immigrants followed they arrived in Strathcona in 1899. George’s brother Zaharie (Harry) and his family came at the same time.

The two brothers and their families continued their search for land and squatted first at a point five miles north of Pakan. Zaharie stayed there but George and his family moved to Shalka and homsteaded on NW- 8-56-13-4. Their friends the Sveklas and Hutzkals homesteaded in the same section. The land they chose was heavily timbered and some logs were hauled from here to build the Boian church.
After some improvements were made the Mihalcheons left the farm to their oldest son, Mike, and moved to what was known as the Soda Lake area where they settled on S.E.-28-56-14-4. By 1911 five more children were born; Ion, Nick, Alex, Merton and Dorothy.
George and Pachija Mihalcheon had been brought up in the Greek Orthodox faith and were deeply religious. Although illiterate they were God-fearing parents and their strong faith kept them striving for a better life for themselves and their children.
In 1928 the C.P.R. railroad cut through their farm and brought joy and excitement in their lives. Previously their nearest town was Vegreville and the nearest country store was Magowans, four miles south of the homeplace.
After 54 years in Canada George and Pachita had qualified for three homesteads, raised a family of ten children, and finally received their first pension cheque of five dollars a month. Despite the many hardships and frustrations both lived to a ripe old age. George passed away in 1950 at the age of 86 and Pachita died in 1949 at 82. They were laid to rest in the Romanian cemetery at Boian.

Mike the oldest son married Sanda Harasim. From this marriage three children were born – George, Vera and Dorothy. Mike passed away at a very young age.
Malesa married Elie Kachuk and had eight children, Nick, Dorothy, Kate, Mary, Rose, Stella, Rita and Mike (Mac). Kate married Kost Zaharichuk and they had two children Pearl and Tom. Floyd married Kate Hutzcal and had five children, Rita, Art, Mike, Gloria and Virginia. Ion married Ruth Palmer and had no children. Nick married Vera Ruptash and had three children – Archie, Jean and Richard. Alexander married Helen Krawchuk and had two boys – Elmer and Walter. Merton married Rose Hauca and had three children – Lorraine, Marlene and Kenneth. Dorothy married Charles Svekla and one child Edward. Dorothy, too, passed away at a very young age.