Lena Skehor

Lena Skehor

A biography of Lena Skehor, who was an active member and leader in the AUUC.

Text

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Vancouver, BC

English

1895

Toporivitzi, Ukraine

1990

Lena Skehor, nee Kostiuk, was born in Toporivitzi in the Bukovina region of Ukraine, which at the time of her birth was under Austrian rule. Her father left the family in Austria to fend for themselves while he worked for the CPR in Canada. After their mother died, Lena and her siblings lived with their grandmother until her death in 1912, when the Kostiuk family moved to Canada. Lena worked as a housekeeper in private homes. In 1914 she met Bill Skehor in Georgetown Alberta, and they married.

The family came to Vancouver in 1925 where Lena participated at activities with the Ukrainian community at Clinton Hall in 1926, then at the ULFTA when the Hall opened in 1928. She was at home working and organizing events at the Ukrainian Hall. She was determined to build a better world for her sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.