Obituaries

It is with sad and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Mervin Dubnyk on July 26, 2024 at the age of 87 years in the Pasqua Hospital Palliative Care Unit. He was surrounded by his loving family: wife Edna, daughter Brenda, son Trevor and daughter-in-law April, daughter Maryanne and son-in-law Dave.

Mervin was predeceased by his parents Matt and Daisy Dubnyk and brother Albert. He is survived by his wife Edna of 64 years; daughter Brenda; son Trevor (April) and grandson Dale; daughter Maryanne (Dave) and step granddaughter Kitiara; his sister Diane (Harold); as well as many members of our extended family.

Mervin was born on October 26, 1936, in Wroxton, Saskatchewan. He grew up in a hard-working farming household with Ukrainian being his first language. He went to Two Creeks School in the Wroxton/Calder area until Grade 10. He devoted the next few years helping on the farm. From a young age Mervin developed a passion to understand the Bible and read the Bible daily. He chose to dedicate his life as a Jehovah’s Witness and got baptized at the age of 14.

He met the love of his life, Edna Todosichuk, at a Bible assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1958. They were married on October 14, 1959. Together they raised a family using the teachings in the Bible for family living as their guide.

Mervin always had the love of farming and gardening running through his veins. He farmed 5 miles East of Yorkton for decades. They also had many gardens in Yorkton and the farm and shared lots of produce and sacks of potatoes with many friends and relatives. To supplement the farm income, he also worked at Morris Industries for 30 years. He was known for his accuracy and hard work in the Tool and Dye area. But he most often was known for his kindness and love in the Yorkton congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He served as an elder most his life and was always willing to give his time, listening ear and practical help at any time of day or night. He taught many people what the Bible really teaches and touched many lives. Dad truly was a spiritual man who would sit in his Massey 97 tractor (he and our neighbor Fred loved the sound of that working tractor) working the fields and meditating on the many blessings we had from Jehovah...his favorite being that of the Fall Rye crop.

Mervin’s hobbies included listening to music especially polka music on Saturday Night Get Together on GX94. He also liked driving to places he liked, especially if they had a bakery or meat processor, that included Roblin, Grayson, Canora, Kamsack, and the Two Creeks School near Wroxton where he went to school. He enjoyed picking mushrooms and berries. He had a knack for knowing the places they liked to grow in the countryside. He loved playing Crokinole late into the night until he beat his son Trevor despite Mom telling them multiple times to go to bed. He many times picked up Toonie Tuesday specials at KFC especially if his grandson was coming for lunch from school. He also would clean out the fridge of leftovers before driving to the farm to feed the farm dogs. Those farm dogs Diesel and Rook got so excited every time they saw his car coming from the highway. Of course, the most loved times he had was with his family on road trips to Northern Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Black Hills, Alberta and Montreal.

Some words that best describe Mervin are patience, meekness, kindness, hardworking, intelligent, strong, loving, humorous, determined, faithful leader, organizer and farmer. Even though Mervin was a man of few words, when he spoke it had meaning and we recognized his wisdom. We know Mervin is in Jehovah’s memory and will be resurrected to a Paradise Earth as a young man ready to work in the field or be used in whatever capacity needed.

Let’s honor Mervin’s memory by following his example in always being patient, kind, ready to listen, ready to do what is needed to help one another and most of all looking to the Bible for daily help and answers to life questions.

We will miss you Dad and will see you again in the promised future life on Earth just around the corner.

The family has opted for a virtual funeral to be held on Saturday, August 17, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. on Zoom. Meeting ID is 964 992 3449. No password is required.