William Strasky was born at home in the old farmhouse in Farmington to George and Maria Strasky. His parents had emigrated from Slovakia and were homesteaders in Farmington. Bill was the fifth of eight children.
At the young age of five Bill contracted rheumatic fever and to receive the care he needed he was flown to the Alexandria Children’s hospital near Victoria. He spent two years in the hospital and then boarded with the Kelly family in Victoria for another two years while he recovered. Returning home to the rough farm life was difficult and he had forgotten how to speak Slovak, which he re-learned in order to talk to his mother.
After returning home Bill attended the Parkland and Notre Dame schools. His early jobs included working with his brother Fred at the refinery in Taylor and as a carpenter on the WAC Bennett dam project.
Bill married his childhood sweetheart, Etela Magusin, on July 4th, 1959. Bill built their first home in Dawson Creek. They lived there for four years and had their first three children, Rodney, Stephen and Douglas. They moved to Hudson Hope while Bill worked on building the Bennett dam. James was born during that time and then they moved back to Dawson Creek where Kevin was born in 1965 and their family of five boys was complete.
In 1966 the family moved out to Farmington to begin their farming career. They acquired some land with an old bachelor’s house with no electricity or running water. Etela had to kick start the gas-powered ringer washing machine. Bill renovated the old house, while raising sheep, farming and clearing land.
Bill worked hard and accomplished much, but always left time to have fun with his family and friends. He loved to visit with family, friends and neighbours to play cards and to take Etela dancing at the community hall. They took the boys camping and fishing to the Kiskatinaw river, Gwillim and Carp Lakes, ice fishing at the Bennett dam and on a memorable trip to Barkerville.
Bill was community and civic minded and over the years he belonged to the National Farmers Union, the Sweetwater Farmers Institute, the South Peace Grain Cleaning Coop Board and the Farmington Recreation Commission.
Bill’s farming career spanned more than four decades. He saw many changes in farming over that time, from horse drawn implements to GPS technology and auto-steer. He was successful and not afraid to embrace new technologies as they came along. Bill had a lot of patience for raising his five sons, making time to spend with them on 4-H and countless other projects. He tried to teach by example and let them learn by experience. Bill tried to teach all of his boys the ins and outs of farming and to instill a great passion for the land in each of them.
In 2007 Bill lost Etela and never truly recovered. He continued to farm as long as he was able and was marketing his last oat crop at Christmas.
Bill will be sorely missed by his five loving sons and daughter in laws: Rod (Kim), Stephen, (Juanita), Douglas (Cora), Jim (Pat) and Kevin (Cindy) as well as nine grand children, one great-grandson and his surviving brothers, George and Fred and sisters, Helen Breti and Margaret O’Donovan and many in-laws, nieces and nephews and their families.
Bill was predeceased by his parents, Maria and George Strasky and three siblings, Ann Nitzel, Ludmilla Motzer and Victor Strasky.
William Strasky, we will miss you and cherish your memory always.
A funeral service was held on January 19, 2011 at the Notre Dame Roman Catholic Church with Father Michael Anyasoro officiating. Interment followed in the Mountain View Cemetery, Sunrise Valley, British Columbia.
Arrangements entrusted to Bergeron Funeral Services & Crematorium Ltd.
