KREW KUTS: Meaningful trails of a tragedy

By Bernie Krewski

Inspirational stories, too often, are hidden, lost in the complexities of daily life, remaining untold. That was striking to me while wandering through news reports in 1934.

In that year, a legendary local couple, the Clifton Riels, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Charles Harris, equally legendary after living here for 24 years, moving to Leslieville in central Alberta, leaving his son Leonard to farm the home place. A $50,000 fire on Main Street in Alsask razing four buildings, paving the way for the construction of an outdoor ice rink in the same location (where I learned to skate). Quite ironically, the deaths of two men from being kicked in the abdomen by a horse - Otto Fischbuch of Sibbald on February 10, leaving his widow and eleven children and William Brooks of Alsask on August 18, survived by his wife and eight children.

The story that drew even more of my attention was the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Philip Samaluk, a name unknown to me. It ignited buried memories of my childhood, frequently observing railmen jumping off or boarding slowly moving trains.

Philip Samaluk had been a CNR section man at Oyen, likely a workmate of my father. Recently promoted as the foreman at Alsask, he moved there with his wife and five children. Details are sketchy, but this is what is known from several news reports.

Late at night on April 30, 1934, Mr. Samaluk left Alsask on the westbound passenger train heading for Oyen. At Benton, for some unexplained reason, he decided to travel on the tender - the water/coal car behind the engine, for the last few miles of his short journey.

As the train approached the Oyen rail station, he attempted to get off and slipped, possibly due to a fresh snowfall. One leg fell under the train, amputating it at the ankle. No one witnessed the accident. He crawled to the home of a friend in Oyen, and from there was taken to the Alsask Hospital too late to save his life, owing to the severe loss of blood.

Philip Samaluk’s painful death seemed to b the end of his life’s story. That is, until I found a news article plus four photos with this headline, “Alsask Widow Has Four Sons Serving,” dated March 29, 1945. The contrasting spirit of this story is so compelling.

“Fours sons of Mrs. Anna Samalack (change in spelling) of Alsask are serving with the armed forces of Canada.” Thomas, 22, enlisted with the RCAF at Saskatoon in June 1941, and is now stationed at Boundary Bay, BC. Nicholas 20, joined the Naval Reserve March 1942, completed his training at Esquimalt and Halifax and went on active service, making 22 trips overseas aboard H.M.C.S. Fredericton. Joseph enlisted in the army in 1943, and this year was joined by his younger brother Frank, 18. They are stationed, respectively, in Victoria and Wetaskiwin.

Virginia, 14, resides with her mother at Alsask and attends Alsask school. All the children were born at Oyen, completing their education at Alsask schools.

The legacy of the Samalack family continued to be recorded in several subsequent news items. Virginia Samalack was a member of Alsask’s First Brownie Pack, receiving her Proficiency badge in February 1938 with Helen Stewart and others. She was also a member of Alsask’s first intermediate CGIT group in 1943.

Frank, her brother, was a member of the award-winning boy’s chorus in a program sponsored by the Alsask Young Men’s Board of Trade in Alsask . It was an imitation of the “Major Bowes” – a popular American radio talent show. Another award winner in the Alsask production was Ollie Zawasky – the sister of the late Annie Smigelski.

The accomplishments of this family, considering the traumatic death of their husband and father, were inspiring and galvanizing. And then, I happened to recheck the various spellings of their surname.

On the baptism/birth certificate of my older brother, Frank were these words: “Sponsor – Mrs. Philip Samuluk, August 24, 1921, Oyen Alberta.”

No need to ask if I was surprised.

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