Yurko, Ichim and Iftinca

Ichim Yurko was one of the first Romanian immigrants to settle in the Boian area. He arrived in the spring of 1898 with his young wife Iftinca and their only child, a girl, Joanna five years old. They spent their first winter in a bordei near Andrew and then moved to the Shalka district. During the first winter their daughter died of unknown causes but it was probably pneumonia and malnutrition. They built a better house at Shalka and continued living there. Like most early homes they had a cuptor (clay oven) in the house where Iftinca did the baking and cooking. At night the cuptor served as a bed.

In June of 1919 Iftinca had built a big fire in the oven for baking her week’s supply of bread. Her dough had been kneaded and while it was rising in the large container (covata), she washed her hair, dried it, and was sitting in front of the oven gazing at the flames and combing her long dark hair. She was going to pleat it next and coil it into a bun on top of her head and then wear her white cotton shawl over it like all Romanian women did. Ichim was sitting on a home-made bench near the wall by the open door. Suddenly a flash of lightning struck Iftinca and the poor woman was burned beyond recognition. Ichim was thrown to the ground in a coma. The house caught fire. The neighbors, Constantin Bezovie and Mitru Hantiuk saw the smoke and immediately rushed to save the Yurkos. They pulled the bodies out shortly before the whole house was engulfed in flames.
Ichim regained consciousness a few hours later whereas his wife was laid to rest in the Boian cemetery three days later.
Ichim later transferred his land to his nephew but continued to live in his own newly built home on the same quarter of land. In his old age he became an avid gardener and would always have lovely cucumbers and juicy tomatoes. He would even ripen some of his vegetables and sell seeds to the neighbors.
He died in the late 30’s when he was eighty years of age.