Zaplitney surname covering the areas of Buchanan formerly called Dobrodowdy,
Tiny formerly called Kowalowka and Canora.
Research Summary:
John Zaplitney (1852 - 1930's) and his wife, Nastia (Nettie) (nee
Cybulsky)
(1863 - 1931) and their children, Daniel (1884 - 1967), Josie (later
Mrs.
Alex Kosar) and Pauline (later Mrs. Clem Kolkowski) immigrated from
Dobrodowy, Austria to Canada in 1902 aboard the SS Arcadia. They were
the
first Zaplitney ancestors to arrive in the district and they registered
and
acquired their 160-acre parcel of land (Section 20, S.E. Township 30,
Range
6), located several miles south of the town of Buchanan. They
immediately
built a two-room log and plaster home with a thatched roof and mud
floor. At
first, they farmed with oxen and a few years later acquired a team of
horses. They went through a lot of hardship, toil and poverty and if
there
was any sickness, there were just the home remedies. And if they
wanted
their mail, they would have to walk many miles to the town of Yorkton.
Dan Zaplitney (1884 – 1967) lived with his father and mother, working
the
farm and eventually married Julia Ternowski (1893 – 1918) in 1910.
Over the
course of eight years, they had eight children, two of whom, Anna and
Jan,
died at infancy. Those who survived were: Michael, Francis, Pauline,
John
and Peter. It was during giving birth and having the flu that Julia
died at
the age of 27 years; her remains are located in the Kowalowka Cemetery,
as
are the infants. Dan acquired his Nationalization Certificate in 1905
when
Saskatchewan became a Province.
Julia’s mother, Ann(ie) (Hanishewski)Ternowski (headstone is located in
the
Buchanan Cemetery) tended to the children until Dan remarried in 1920.
With
his second wife, Nellie Stephniphyn, they had the following children:
Ann,
Joseph, Lucy, Helen, Adeline and Bernard. Dan and Nellie are buried
together in the Canora Cemetery.
After Nettie’s death in 1931, the Zaplitney family moved to Tiny, Sask
on a
160-acre farm (Sec. 2, Township 32, West of 2 Meridian) where they
built a
small log house on a knoll for Dan and his family and another small
building
in the treed-area of the farm for John. John died about 1937 and is
buried
in the Greek Catholic Church cemetery in Tiny (near the farm).
In the 1930's, Dan’s house burnt to the ground and another log home was
built closer to the road. Over the years, additions and renovations
were
made and the home still sits on the original location. Prior to this
fire,
Michael, Pauline, Frances had relocated to Ontario while John was
working at
various jobs in Manitoba and Ontario up until 1942. It was then that
Pete
was called to serve in the military during WWII and John had to return
to
work the farm with Dan. John rented the Moran house in Tiny (today,
the
current highway passes over its foundation) and he had to travel 2-3
miles
to get to the farm each day.
Dan’s children all attended the Tiny one-room school, of which he was a
school trustee; he was also an active member of the Ukranian Catholic
Church
(Kowolowka); and at one time, was the Mayor of Tiny. Dan was referred
to as
“Guido” (which means grandfather in Ukranian) among family.
In 1945, Dan’s son, John, married Mary Paslowski(daughter of Walter &
Anne
(Haskewich)Pasklowski) in St. Mary's Catholic Church (next to the farm)
in
Tiny. They farmed on their own, renting the Moran land and house in
Tiny
until 1951 when Dan decided to relocate in the town of Canora. None of
the
siblings wanted to return to the farm, so John reluctantly purchased
the
farm. John & Mary’s two children, Geraldine and Jayne, also attended
the
one-room school, getting there either by walking, riding in their horse
drawn wagon or in a heated caboose sled in the winter. In 1972, John &
Mary
relocated to Canora and sold the farm to Steve and Ann Hort. John
Zaplitney
died in 2004 and is buried in the Canora Cemetery.
In 1988, my wife, Geri, and daughter, Kathy, visited the original
homestead
with John and Mary(Geri’s father, John, was born and raised here) where
buildings were identified and stories told. They also visited various
cemeteries and the now Hort owned farm in Tiny. Photos and movies have
been
preserved on CDs. In the early 1990’s, the original homestead was
revisited,
but to our dismay, the buildings were bulldozed and the land converted
to
farmland.
For your consideration,
Norman Hooper
Contact Information
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