SOME SETTLERS FROM CENTRAL EUROPE     Mrs. Dominica Paulencui
as told by Nistor Onefreicuic
to Mrs. Geo. Smellie

With a group of friends and acquaintances, Mrs. Dominica Paulencui arrived in Canada from Crnogitz, Bucovena Austria in 1899, a widow with three children, John, Marina and George. They lived for three weeks at Saltcoats, Sask., in the migration hall, looking for a homestead; then went to the area known now as Wroxton, Sask., to take up a homestead. They stayed there a year, but were forced to leave owing to having no water, and the men unable to find work. It was a common practise to walk over the prairie from Wroxton to Russell to find work. This they would do in two days. Bucking wood at 25 cents a cord didn’t provide a handsome living.

They eventually moved to Manitoba in the Russell area, to what later became Lennard, where they took up a homestead. Life for an immigrant in those days was very hard. Trees had to be felled for space to build a shelter. This was built with the help of trees, logs and mud, no windows, a blanket over the door way, earthen floor. Bunkbeds were made from boards hewn from the larger trees. Mattresses made of straw and the cotton-like substance from cattails which abounded in the sloughs.

One of the first things they did was to find a higher bit of land and erect a cross. Life was meaningless without some form of a church. There they would gather around the cross and conduct their service of worship. The first homes made were just large enough to hold their few pieces of  home-made furniture, made in the shape of a teepee, with a hole in the roof to let the smoke escape. Some were fortunate to have brought a few blankets with them. Later, when the
men got work among neighboring farmers, shearing sheep, they could obtain at low cost some of the wool, which they would spin into yarn, to make clothing and blankets.

Mrs. Paulencui and the other women who came at that time, brought with them what they called “the plate”. This was a steel plate with holes for the cooking pots, which formed the top of
the home-made stoves. These stoves were made of stones and plastered with mud. Some of those old ovens are still in the country.

The men were farmers, the women were home-makers. Mrs. Paulencui brought out seeds and medicines. She was like a doctor to the community. She made medicines from the plants grown
from seed they brought with them, and cared for the sick in the community.

Being unable to speak or understand English proved a great handicap, and in many cases led to their being exploited. Grcat hardships were endured by these early immigrant homesteaders. They had sold all their possessions in the old country to make this trip and were able to bring along a few pots and pans, blankets, clothing - sheep-skin coats were very much in evidence. With the
seeds they brought, they grew hemp, horse radish and medicinal plants. The hemp was sown among the vegetables and kept insects away. Cotton made from hemp, woven and bleached, was
water-proof in garments. Wonderful bread was baked in those outdoor clay ovens. They were heated by filling with wood, which was drawn out when burned. To test the oven for right temper-
ature to bake the bread, a handful of corn meal was tossed in - if it burned and smoked, the oven was too hot. After it had cooled a bit and tested by tossing in another handful of corn meal, the
oven would be right for baking. Grain was crushed for use as flour and meal by means of a mill stone.

The Stories of Mrs. Dominica Paulencui’s
Three children, John, Marina and George

John Paulencui married Mary Bordion and settled on a homestead near Lennard, section 24. Three others settled at that time also, Nick Pentilichuk, Eli Burla and John’s brother George
Paulencui. John and Mary Paulencui had ten children: Ted, Jim, Peter, Pauline, Victoria, Barbara and Ina. John died in 1939.

Marina Paulencui married Nick Pentilichuk in Europe, arriving here in 1899. Of their ten children, five are still living here, George, Angelina (Mrs. Chorney), Elsi (Mrs. Nevistuik), Dora (Mrs. Pclitori) and Sadie (Mrs. Zetteruk).

George Paulencui lived in the Lennard area also and had two children, Kost Paulencui and Mary (Mrs. Pentilichuk). George died in 1965.

In 1912, the first school was built at Shellbank by Albert McKay for $950. The teacher was
F. 0. Zelinski, who was paid $60. a month. In 1914 a post office was built at Lennard, named after Mr.William Lennard, a farmer in Boulton district.

                               
                                           Home of John Paulencui, 1906