Mary Arrowsmith

Title

Mary Arrowsmith

Description

A biography of prominent ULFTA member and AUUC Pioneer Mary Arrowsmith.

Type

Text

Rights

Reproduction may be restricted. Contact AUUC.

Coverage

Vancouver, BC.

Language

English.

Birth Date

1907

Birthplace

Strikhivtsi, Ukraine.

Biographical Text

Mary Arrowsmith, nee Skoropad, was born in the village of Strikhivtsi in the region of Halychina, Ukraine. She arrived in Canada by boat through the port of Halifax in 1919. She came through Winnipeg then moved on to Elphinstone, Manitoba, to her father's house, where her father and stepmother had arranged a marriage for her. She refused to get married at 12 years of age, so her father kicked her out of his house. Mary walked to Rockstone, Saskatoon, moved on to Yorktown and Moose Jaw, then on to Winnipeg. She lived in Sudbury with her first husband, Andrew Pruiss, then moved to Timmins with her second husband, John Schpak, and the pair then moved to Vancouver in 1951. After many years, she met and married John Arrowsmith.

During her numerous moves throughout Canada, Mary worked a variety of jobs. In Vancouver, she was employed at Canada Linen Supply for 23 years.

Mary joined the ULFTA in Regina, and continued on in Winnipeg, Sudbury, and then in Vancouver. She joined for friendship and sang in the choir. She enjoyed it as it was a place where she could speak Ukrainian.

Mary did a lot of fundraising for the AUUC, often as a "Star" candidate, and she always won the contest. She was very talented at embroidery and had many fine framed examples of cross-stitch embroidery. She often donated pieces of her work as prizes for the Bazaar raffles. She also crocheted, and used to decorate Ukrainian Easter eggs.

Citation

“Mary Arrowsmith,” Association of United Ukrainian Canadians - Vancouver, accessed March 29, 2024, https://auucvancouver.digitalhistoryhub.com/items/show/160.