By Clark Stork

Yellow Creek area homesteaders honoured

Nov 29, 2017 | 4:00 PM

Five family names are being honoured in Saskatchewan through the naming of a lake near Yellow Creek.

In the mid-1920s the Odzga, Zablosky, Masurok, Nawrocki and Stocki families settled in the rugged forest southwest of Melfort from their native Russia and Poland. The Government of Saskatchewan is recognizing the families’ perseverance and hard work by naming a nearby body of water Ozmans Lake.

Joe and Natalie Zablosky, the children of Paul Zablosky and John Nawrocki still reside on one of the homesteads. Natalie said her entire life is on their farm.

“This is the place where I really grew up and I’m still here at 82 years old,” she said.

Both Zablocki’s were born within a mile of their current home. They said they will be there “if they can be.” Their lone daughter lives in Bonnyville, Alta. Joe, 83, said his father knew of another Russian in the area leading him to Saskatchewan. Natalie’s father had a cousin operating a sawmill in the village.

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The renaming was an idea of Joe’s who sat on council in the Rural Municipality of Invergordon for 25 years. Natalie said they decided to use the first letter from each family’s names when deciding what the lake should be called.

“We switched them around until we came up with something that looked OK,” she said.

The naming committee wasn’t too keen on the proposal; using that method was unconventional. Joe said they wanted his dad’s name on the lake because he was the first settler. He said that didn’t feel right.

“We thought people might be offended, let’s involve everybody. Everybody worked so hard,” he said.

The Zablocki’s sold their farm land but have “a lifetime agreement to live there.” The original barn build by Joe’s father still stands in the Northwest corner of their yard, 90 years later. Natalie said it’s a nice feeling knowing the lake’s namesake will be there long after her and Joe.

“They worked hard to make a go of it. It wasn’t the best land but it’s great to know the legacy will be there forever,” she said.

clark.stork@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @ClarkStork