The Story of Nestor Onefreiciuc -
who came from the same country as the Paulencuis.

Nestor Onefreiciuc landed in Quebec June 5th, 1914, at the age of sixteen, the only one of his family to emigrate. It took Nestor 14 days to cross over to Canada, transportation - $28.00. He
had learned of Canada at school, mostly about Indians, but also of the prospect of farming which was his one ambition.  He was permitted to return to Europe after three months in Canada, if he
wished, but he remained.

He went to an uncle in Montreal ,and after he had worked in a bottling factory at $5.00 per month, for a couple of months, his uncle gave him transportation to Winnipeg by train - $10.00. On the way out he earned $1.25 by services to fellow passengers. He arrived in Winnipeg August 17, then with his $1.25, took train to Russell. There, a farmer, John Osaski, with a hay rack, took Nestor and about sixteen other fellow passengers to his home near Lennard, where they were very grateful for a meal of bread and vegetables from the Osaski garden. Nestor got a job on the farm of Ted Holunga at $5.00 a month.

For a number of years he worked for various farmers, among them, Milton Setter, Y. J. Attwood and T. McLennan. With his first savings he bought a team of colts, then sold them, got a down payment and nothing more.

Nestor was ambitious, unafraid of hard work, and frugal. After nine years he had saved $1,200., which made a down payment on a quarter section in the Lennard area, at $32.50 an acre, the rest  at 8 percent interest. It took 30 years till he owned the farm on which he is still living.

All business had to be done in Russell. Four years in succession he was hailed out .A great part of his income was from cutting and hauling wood to Russell - that, and working at $1.00 a
day for other farmers. Consequently, Sunday was the only day he had for his family.

In 1923, Nestor married Pauline Paulencui, daughter of John. The first 7  years were very hard, no money to buy clothes, or comforts, but through hard work and economical living they managed. They had ten children: Violet, Martha, Alice, Victoria, Marion, Elaine, Jim, Martin, Peter and David.

Their present modern home and farm buildings are a far cry from the first log shanty with sod roof, oxen for farm work, hand-made furniture from boards. hewn out of logs.

                           
                            Modern Homestead of Nestor Onefreiciuc - 1965

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