Veranka Extended Sources

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Records 2.1 Documents 2.1.1 1897: Nildo Werenks Passenger List 2.1.2 1904: Nikolai Veranka Certificate of Naturalization 2.1.3 1923: Nicolai Verenka and Petronela Smereczynska Marriage Registration 2.1.4 1934: Nickolai Verenka Registration of Death 2.2 Census Records 2.2.1 1901 Census: Nicola Verenka 2.2.2 1906 Census: Nicolai Veranka 2.2.3 1911 Census: Nikolay Ueranko 2.2.4 1916 Census: Nykola Werenka 2.2.5 1921 Census: Nikolas Veranka 2.2.6 1926 Census: Nick Wereuka 2.3 Homestead Records 2.4 Dictionary of Canadian Ukrainian Biography 2.5 Letters from Ethelwyn G. Chace 2.5.1 To Edith Weekes [date unknown] 2.5.2 To Bessie Harrison, 6 Oct 1956 2.5.3 To Friends, 22 Sep [year unknown] 3 Family Timeline 4 Unattached Family Photos 5 Sources

Introduction

Records

Extended transcriptions and images for Nicolai (Veranka) Verenka (abt.1864-1934).

Documents

1897: Nildo Werenks Passenger List

Passenger List

Record: Click Here

Given Name(s): Nildo

Surname: WERENKS

Age: 37

Ship: ARABIA

Port of Arrival: Montreal, Quebec

Date of Arrival: 1897/05/26

Year of Arrival: 1897

Microfilm Reel Number: C-4541

Reference: RG 76

Item Number: 818924

Other family members:

818925 WERENKS Magdalene, 25

818926 WERENKS Foan, 8

818927 WERENKS Flis, 7

818928 WERENKS Telna, 3

Additional Record: Click Here

Ship: ARABIA

Shipping Line: Hansa Line

Port of Departure: Hamburg, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium

Date of Departure: 1897-05-08; 1897-05-14

Port of Arrival: Montreal, Que.

Date of Arrival: 1897-05-26

Year: 1897

Microfilm Reel Number: C-4541

Remarks: Date of arrival may apply to Quebec List Number: 12

Reference: RG 76

Item Number: 3541

1904: Nikolai Veranka Certificate of Naturalization

Certificate of Naturalization

Link: Click Here

Information extracted from document:

Location: Dominion of Canada, North-West Territories

Judge: David Lynch Scott

District: Northern Alberta

Name: Nikolai Veranka

Formerly of: Bukowhina, Austria

Now of: Pakan

Occupation: Farmer

Land Description: SW 4-59-15 W 4

Date: 6 Jul 1904

1923: Nicolai Verenka and Petronela Smereczynska Marriage Registration

Nicolai married Petronela (Wiconsky) Smereczynska, a widow with children, at the Mission House in Wahstao, Alberta on 13 May 1923.^[1]

Marriage Registration

Groom's Name in Full: Nicolai Verenka

Occupation: Farmer

Marital Status: Widower

Age: 63

Religious Denomination: Methodist

Place of Residence: Vegreville, Alberta

Place of Birth: Austria

Name of Father: Theodor Verenka

Birthplace of Father: Austria

Mother's Maiden Name: Wasilina Stolarchuk

Can Groom Read/Write?: Yes/Yes

Bride's Name in Full: Petronela Smereczynska

Occupation: Household Duties

Marital Status: Widow

Age: 39

Religious Denomination: Roman Catholic

Place of Residence: Vegreville, Alberta

Place of Birth: Austria

Name of Father: Stephan Wiconsky

Birthplace of Father: Austria

Mother's Maiden Name: Dokia Schurt

Can Bride Read/Write?: Yes/Yes

Date of Marriage: 13 May 1923

Place of Marriage: In the Mission House of Wahstao

Witness 1: John Bilar, Wahstao AB

Witness 2: Maria Romanka, Wahstao AB

License or Banns?: License No. 60570

Notice (Edmonton Journal)

They separated in 1926:

NOTICE

My wife, Petrunela Verenka, having

left my bed and board, I will not be

responsible for any debts contracted

by her.

Bellis, Alta., November 19, 1926

NICK. VERENKA

1934: Nickolai Verenka Registration of Death

He passed away in Wandering River, Alberta on 24 Nov 1934^[2]:

Registration of Death

Record No.: 2538

Name in Full: Nickolai Verenka

Date of Death: 24 Nov 1934

Place of Death: I.D. 72b, Wandering River

Regular Residence: Same as above

Length of Time in Town/District: 4 Years

Length of Time in Canada: 37 Years

Sex: Male

Marital Status: Married

Age: 71

Place of Birth: Kitzman, Austria

Racial Origian: Austrian

Last Occupation: Farmer

Country of Birth, Father: Kitzman, Austria

Country of Birth, Mother: Austria

Undertaker: Geo. Strombitsky

Place of Interment: Ukrainian Good Orthodox Cemetery

Informant: Wm. N. Verenka

Census Records

Records transcribed directly from Library and Archives Canada.

1901 Census: Nicola Verenka

Census of Canada, 1901

Record: Click Here

Surname: Verenka

Given Name: Nicola

Occupation: Farmer

Gender: Male

Age: 37

Birth Date: 1863-01-07

Marital Status: Married

Place of Birth: Austria

Religion: Greek Catholic

Relationship: Head

Ethnic Origin: Russian

Year of Immigration: 1896

Province: The Territories

District Name: Alberta

District Number: 202

Sub-District Name: Pakan

Sub-District Number: J3

Division Number: 1

Family Number: 63

Page Number: 6

Microfilm: T-6551

Reference: RG31 - Statistics Canada

Item Number: 882793

Other household members:

882792: Magdelena, Age: 29

882791: Ivan, Age: 12

882786: Eli, Age: 11

882789: Helena, Age: 7

882787: George, Age: 4

882796: William, Age: 1

1906 Census: Nicolai Veranka

Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906

Record: Click Here

Surname: Veranka

Given Name: Nicolai

Gender: Male

Age: 44

Marital Status: Married

Place of Birth: Austria

Relationship: Head

Year of Immigration: 1897

Province: Alberta

District Name: Edmonton

District Number: 20

District Description: being that part of the electoral district of Edmonton which lies within the province of Alberta

Sub-District Number: 8

Sub-District Description: Townships 59, 60 in ranges 11 to 15 inclusive and township 61 to the northern boundary of the district in ranges 11 to 16 inclusive, and those parts of township 58 in ranges 11, 12 lying north of the Saddle Lake Indian Reserve, all west of the 4th Meridian, not including the Indian Reserve no. 128

Family Number: 2

Page Number: 1

Microfilm: T-18362

Reference: RG31, Statistics Canada

Item Number: 748295

1911 Census: Nikolay Ueranko

Census of Canada, 1911

Record: Click Here

Surname: Ueranko

Given Name: Nikolay

Gender: Male

Age: 48

Birth Year: 1872

Birth Month: May

Marital Status: Married

Place of Birth: Austria

Relationship: Head

Ethnic Origin: Bukovinian

Year of Immigration: 1897

Province: Alberta

District Name: Victoria

District Number: 7

Sub-District Number: 49

Sub-District Description: Township 59 in ranges 13, 14, 15 west of the 4th Meridian

Family Number: 28

Page Number: 3

Microfilm: T-20333

Reference: RG31, Statistics Canada

Item Number: 361800

1916 Census: Nykola Werenka

Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1916

Record: Click Here

Surname: Werenka

Given Name: Nykola

Gender: Male

Age: 53

Marital Status: Married

Ethnic Origin: Ukrainian

Province: Alberta

District Name: Edmonton East

District Number: 36

Sub-District Number: 4

Sub-District Description: Townships 57, 58, 59 and 60, whole or fractional, range 15, and townships 58 and 59, whole or fractional, range 16, west of fourth meridian, north of the North Saskatchewan River

Meridian: W4

Range Number: 15

Family Number: 226

Page Number: 29

Line Number: 38

Microfilm: T-21949

Reference: R233-47-9-E

Item Number: 159553

1921 Census: Nikolas Veranka

Census of Canada, 1921

Record: Click Here

Surname: Veranka

Given Name: Nikolas

Gender: Male

Age: 57

Marital Status: Married

Relationship: Head

Ethnic Origin: Romanian

Year of Immigration: 1897

Province: Alberta

District Name: Victoria

District Number: 12

Sub-District Name: Vegreville (Town)

Sub-District Number: 59

Sub-District Description: NULL

Family Number: 294

Page Number: 27

Line Number: 43

Reference: RG31, Statistics Canada

Item Number: 889933

1926 Census: Nick Wereuka

Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1926

Record: Click Here

Surname: Wereuka

Given Name: Nick

Gender: Male

Age: 63

Marital Status: Married

Relationship: Head

Ethnic Origin: Bukovinian

Year of Immigration: 1897

Province: Alberta

District Name: Athabaska

District Number: 40

Sub-District Number: 16

Sub-District Description: Township 59 in range 15, west of the fourth meridian

Family Number: 7

Page Number: 1

Line Number: 11

Reference: RG31, Statistics Canada

Item Number: 1452312

Homestead Records

• Alberta Homestead File No. 465517 PDF link
• Alberta Homestead File No. 613923 PDF link
• Alberta Homestead File No. 958744 PDF link
• Alberta Homestead File No. 2043677 PDF link

Dictionary of Canadian Ukrainian Biography

Transcribed directly from PDF:

No. 599. Edna, Alta., 1897. (Pakan, Alta., P.O. in 1904). WERENKA, Nykolay (Verenka). Born 1863 in SHYPYNCI, distr. Kitsman, Bukovina, Austria, (N. West Ukraine), died 2 April, 1934 in Wandering River, Alta., 4 yrs. in the district, aged 71 years. Wm. N. Verenka informant. Wife: Magdalena, born 1872. Children on landing: Iwan 8, Ilia 4, Jelena 3. Arrived in Canada in 1897, on S.S. ARABIA, landing in Quebec 26 May, 1897. Brought $30.00 in cash. HGR No. 15, 1896-1898, No. 68449. Date of Application: 15 June, 1897. Name: Nykolay Wyrenka. Homestead: NEY4-20-56-17-W.4.M. Application No.: 3608. District No. 44, List. No. 533. Homestead Fee, Cancelled No. 13799 Can. Reg. Naturalization: Mikolay Werenka, Res.: Leduc, Alta. Occupation: Farmer. Former res.: Galicia. Naturalized January 7,1901, Edmonton, Alta. 2nd. Naturalization: Nikolai Verenka No. 1216. Res.: Pakan, Alta. Occupation: Fanner. Fonner Res.: Austria. Naturalization granted: 6 July, 1904, Supr., Crt. N.W.T., Jud. Distr. N. Alta. Edmonton.

No. 600. Edna, Alta., 1898. WYRENKA, WERENKA, Nykolay. Born 1863 in Shypynci, district of Kitsman, Bukovina, Austria, (N.W. Ukraine), died 2 April, 1934. Wife: Magdalena, born 1872. Children on landing: Iwan 8, IlIa 4, Jelena 3. Arrived in Canada in 1897, on S.S. ARABIA, landing in Quebec 26 May, 1897, brought $30.00 in cash. HGR No. 16,1898. No. 70597. Date of Application: 17 May, 308 1898. Name: Nykolay Wyrenka. NE-30-57-16-W.4.M. Application No.: 4074. District No. 44. List No. 578. Cancelled 20249 Can. Reg. Artymon Verenka, born 1871 died 31 March, 1956 in Edmonton, Albertao Mr. Harry Verenka of Vilna, Alta., died 2 June, 1938 aged 50 yrs. (born 1888), was survived by his wife, his Mother, Mrs. Helen Werenka, and two daughters. One son William of Vegreville, and one sister Mrs. W. Labink of Saddle Lake, Alta. (Edmonton Bulletin. Friday 3.6.1938).

No. 599 WERENKA, Nykolay - Arrived from the village of Kysyliw with his wife Magdalena and four children because George was born on board ship. He cancelled his first homestead south of the North Saskatchewan River when his father, Todyr and his mother, Wasylyna (nee Stolarchuk) Verenka arrived with their family of three sons: Ivan, George, and Dmytro, together with the family of their daughter Mary who had married Ivan Fedirchuk. Ivan had also arrived with his family consisting of his wife Anytsia (nee Sawka) and their children, Anastasia, Nykolai, and Alexander. They all settled together in what afterwards became Wahstao in what George's daughter remembers as being the next year. (Information provided by Mrs. Stephen Repka, a daughter of George Verenka who was a brother of Nykolai. ) The other two names, Artymon and Harry Verenka, do not belong to this group.

Letters from Ethelwyn G. Chace

Ethelwyn G. Chace (Ethelwyn Gordon Chase?) was a missonary at Wahstao.

To Edith Weekes [date unknown]

From Bellis History, p29; excerpt only.

[Events occurred in 1918 during the flu epidemic] Next morning the sky lightened. George Werenka, Nicoli's son, dropped in. "Wherever did you come from?" I asked. "From Vegreville - I came home to see if my people were living or dead. "And can you stay?" "I'll stay if you want me," he replied. "We do want you, need you badly." So he hung up his cap and stayed. I mentioned before his willing and capable service... My own brother could have been no more helpful. Here is another person to whom I owe ceaseless gratitude.

To Bessie Harrison, 6 Oct 1956

This letter was found within the personal papers of Bessie Harrison, provided to her great-granddaughter Dale Mutter by family members; it was written about six months after the death of Bessie's husband Sandy; transcribed by Dale Mutter.

[Envelope] Mrs. Sandy Harrison, Care of Mrs. J. Mutter, Glen Lake P.O., [crossed out, amended to R.R. 1], Victoria, B.C. [Letter] 114 Manor Rd. E., Toronto, Ontario, October 6, 1956; Dear Bessie, I am so sorry. I re-read your letter just now and find that you had asked for your Aunt's George's address and I had quite forgotten. Please forgive me, I do not know it now for she is living with her son, Ted, but I will look up Mary's address [later noted as: Mary & Steve, 9948 88 Avenue Edmonton] and I know she will send any letters on. Anyst and her husband called on me on their way east early in the summer, then they were going north to see the Boychuks, you know, Mary Bilar and her husband. They have a summer lodge on Lake Temagami, a lovely spot. I am so very sorry about your brother George and the attitude he takes toward religion. He has always been a favorite of mine, and he was so kind and helpful in that dreadful "flu" epidemic in 1918. I could not have got along without him. And for him to speak against God now, when you were in your loneliness, it must have been as you say, most disappointing. I hope that you could reply that God had been very real to you in your trouble and had helped you bear it... You are far better off than George and Amy, though they have each other, if you know God as your father and Jesus Christ as your friend and saviour... God loves you more than any husband can... I do pray, every day, for you and George. I have not always remembered the others. I am glad that your daughter is a Christian, you can help each other. Please do write again and quicker than I have done. God bless you dear, affectionately yours, Ethelwyn G. Chace.

To Friends, 22 Sep [year unknown]

This card was found within the personal papers of Bessie Harrison, provided to her great-granddaughter Dale Mutter by family members; it makes no specific mention of Veranka family members; transcribed by Dale Mutter.

114 Manor Rd. E., Toronto, Ont., Sep. 22; Dear Friends, It is just a week since I arrived at home, to find my sister at the station with her car - a most welcome sight! We had a good trip through Penticton, Nelson, Kaslo, Naramata and Macleod, very beautiful and enjoyable. At Calgary a blizard struck us, and spread rain all the rest of the way east. Two days at Calgary with my aunt and two at Marathon with my two nieces finished my visiting. I find myself settling down into the old routine but with a new happiness born of seeing so many western friends and receiving so much kindness. God's blessing on you all! Ever your friend, Ethelwyn G. Chace.

Family Timeline

• 1897 May 26; Montreal, Quebec: Nicolai (37), Magdalena (25) and their three children Ivan (8), Elie (7) and Helena (3) arrive aboard the ship Arabia.

• 1901; Pakan, Alberta: Nicolai (farmer, 37), Magdalena (29) and their five children Ivan (12), Eli (11), Helena (7), George (4) and William [Wasyl] (1) are enumerated in the census of Canada.

• 1904 Jul 6; Northern Alberta: Nicolai is granted Canadian naturalization.

• 1906 Jul 2; Pakan, Alberta: Nicolai (44), Magdalena (35) and their eight children John [Ivan] (18), Alexander [Eli] (17), Annie [Helena] (13), George (9), William [Wasyl] (7), Mary (5), Stefan [Stephen] (3) and Metro (1) are enumerated in the census of the Northwest provinces.

• 1911; Victoria district, Alberta; At 59-15-W4, Nicolai (farmer, 48), Magdalena (39) and their eight children Ellae [Eli] (20), George (14) Wassel [Wasyl] (12), Maria (10), Stefan [Stephen] (8), Metro (7), Katrina (4) and Mikaylo [Mikhail] (3) are enumerated in the census of Canada.

• 1923 May 13, Wahstao, Alberta: Nicolai (63), widower, marries widow Petronela Smereczynska née Wiconsky (39).

• 1926 Nov 19, Bellis, Alberta: Nicolai publishes a notice in the Edmonton Journal indicating that he and Petronela have separated.

• 1934 Nov 24, Wandering River, Alberta: Nicolai passes away.

Unattached Family Photos

Sources

1. ↑ "Alberta Marriage Indexes," database. Entry for Nicolai Verenka and Petronela Smereczynska; Registration Number: 506, Wahstao, 1923. https://provincialarchives.alberta.ca/sites/default/files/2020-02/grooms-ve-1919-1944.pdf https://provincialarchives.alberta.ca/sites/default/files/2018-10/brides-se-1919-1931.pdf Provincial Archives of Alberta (provincialarchives.alberta.ca). Accessed 25 Aug 2020.
2. ↑ "Alberta Death Indexes," database. Entry for Nickolai Verenka; Registration Number: 406-538, Wandering River, 24 Nov 1934. https://provincialarchives.alberta.ca/sites/default/files/2018-11/deaths-v-1925-1946.pdf Provincial Archives of Alberta (provincialarchives.alberta.ca : accessed 26 Aug 2020).