Interview with Pauline Lysak 1.1

Partial Transcript: What is your name?
Were there more than one version of your first name and last name, in English?
When were you born?
Where were you born?
Did you move before the Second World War?
What kind of education did you have?
What was the size of your family?

Segment Synopsis: Pauline Lysak (nee Hryhor) was born August 7th, 1934 in Nipawin, Saskatchewan. Her family moved to Aylsham, Saskatchewan in 1939 and then back to Nipawin in 1941, prior to moving to a farm. Pauline finished the 12th grade in Saskatchewan and went on to study at Grant MacEwan in Edmonton, Alberta leading to a career as a social worker in the child welfare sector in Alberta. She grew up the 7th of 9 children.

Subjects: birthplace; education; elementary education; family; family life; names; occupation; post-secondary education; secondary education; siblings; surnames; work

Partial Transcript: Could you describe the typical meals?

Segment Synopsis: Pauline describes her typical family meals growing up including the fact that meat was very expensive and not eaten that much, and her mother's vegetable and fruit gardening.

Keywords: pich

Subjects: Meals; Mealtimes; gardening

Partial Transcript: What did you eat on Christmas Eve?
Did you do anything else at Christmas?
Where does your knowledge come from?

Segment Synopsis: Pauline describes the traditional 12 dishes of Christmas Eve dinner and various traditions for the Holiday including the traditional bread, sheaf of wheat and watching for the star before the meal. Talks briefly about caroling and children's traditions at Christmas.

Keywords: Christmas Eve; kolach; kutia; twelve dishes

Subjects: Christmas; religious holidays; tradition

Partial Transcript: What did you eat at Easter?

Segment Synopsis: Pauline describes Easter practices including church rituals, Easter baskets and the following meal.

Keywords: Easter basket; babka; paska

Subjects: Easter; Easter eggs; pysanky; religious holidays

Partial Transcript: What groceries were purchased at the store at that time?

Segment Synopsis: Pauline talks about sugar rations during the war and her parents' grocery store.

Keywords: sugar rations

Subjects: grocery stores; meats

Partial Transcript: What kind of clothing did you wear?

Segment Synopsis: Discussion of winter and summer clothing, including shared clothing and hand-me-downs.

Subjects: clothing; hand-me-downs

Partial Transcript: What chores were you responsible for as a child?

Segment Synopsis: Pauline describes that, as one of the youngest children, she did some of the more simple chores.

Subjects: chores; farm chores

Partial Transcript: How was your house decorated?
Any decorations on the wall?

Segment Synopsis: Description of the flooring, furniture and decorations in Pauline's family home.

Subjects: furniture; icons; interior design

Partial Transcript: What crafts were practiced in your family, if any?

Segment Synopsis: Mother made pysanky and a little embroidery, father liked reading.

Subjects: Easter eggs; crafts; folk art; pysanky

Partial Transcript: Did you go to church?
What kind of church was it?
Did you or your sisters make Easter eggs or anybody else in your family?

Segment Synopsis: Building of the church, attending church occasionally.

Subjects: Easter; Ukrainian Orthodox Church; church services; pysanky; religion

Partial Transcript: Did you celebrate or observe birthdays?
What about Canada day?
When did you celebrate Christmas?
Thanksgiving?
What about Halloween?
Did you celebrate Jordan?
Did you also celebrate Parish Saints Days?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about various observation of holidays and celebrations, including Ukrainian and English celebrations.

Keywords: Canada Day; Spasa

Subjects: Christmas; Halloween; Julian Calendar; Thanksgiving day; birthdays; celebrations; civic holidays; holidays; religious holidays

Partial Transcript: Did you or your family sing songs?
Did you also sing songs in English or mostly in Ukrainian?
On what occasions would you sing songs?
What kind of stories did you hear?
You also mentioned that your dad was a story teller, and what kind of stories did he tell?
Would your grandparents and your father tell stories on specific occasions?
Did you used to tell any stories?

Segment Synopsis: Pauline discusses her families love of singing. All songs were in Ukrainian. Grandmother used to tell stories about Ukraine. Father was self educated, worked in politics and told political stories.

Keywords: vinkopletennia

Subjects: Christmas carols; caroling; music; songs; storytelling; weddings