Educator, community activist.
Born in the Rural Municipality of Stuartburn on 17 December 1909, one of 15 children of Theodosy Wachna and Anna Prygrocki, he took up the Anglicized first name of Walter. He worked as a teacher for 18 years, including at Stuartburn School (1932-1936, Principal), Purple Bank School (1936-1940; Principal 1937-1940), and Oakburn School (1940-1947; Principal 1940-1941 and 1944-1947). On 2 September 1934, he married Mary Chalaturnyk (1913-2011) at the Stuartburn Catholic Church and they had three children. He was active in the Stuartburn-Gardenton area, dedicating his efforts to religion, education, recreation, community, and Ukrainian culture. They moved to Windsor, Ontario in 1947. He suffered a cardiac arrest about a week after their 50th wedding anniversary and died at the Hotel Dieu Hotel in Windsor on 15 September 1984, with burial at the Windsor Memorial Gardens.
Birth and marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Stuartburn,” Steinbach Carillon, 21 May 1980, page 2C.
“Ridgeville,” Steinbach Carillon, 26 September 1984, page 15.
Obituary, Steinbach Carillon, 3 October 1984, page 12.
“Sympathy [Mary Wachna],” Steinbach Carillon, 27 October 2011, page 15.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 24 August 2018
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