Prairie Immigration Experience: Klymkiw Family fonds

Click here to view the digitized archival material

Institution: University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections

Collection Identifier: MSS 146, PC 152, TC 98 (A. 01-48)

Title: Klymkiw Family fonds

Dates: 1917-2000

Extent: 10.5 m of textual records and other material

Biographical Sketch: Walter (Volodymyr) Klymkiw was born in Saranchuky, Ukraine in 1926. Emigrating to Canada in 1928, he and his parents settled in Winnipeg. In 1950 he earned a B.A. in English and History at the University of British Columbia. He returned a year later to Winnipeg, and received a teaching certificate from the University of Manitoba. In 1951 he began conducting the Ukrainian National Federation Choir (renamed the Olexander Koshetz Choir in 1967) of Winnipeg, under the guidance of Tetiana Koshetz and Pavlo Macenko. In 1952 Klymkiw married Mary (Marusia) Kopychansky, and had two sons Myroslaw (Slawko) and Paul. Upon receiving his teaching certificate, Klymkiw began his career as a history teacher in 1953 at Glenwood Junior High School. He continued to teach at several schools until his retirement in 1983. Retirement allowed Klymkiw to devote more time as choral director of the Olexander Koshetz Choir. During his nearly fifty years with the choir, Klymkiw and his choir toured throughout Canada, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, Western Europe, and South America. Besides his choir, Klymkiw and his wife devoted much of their time to various community activities. In December 2000, after a lengthy battle with cancer, Walter Klymkiw passed away at the age of seventy-four in Winnipeg.

Digitized Material: The digitized material from the Klymkiw Family fonds consists of geneological information and photographs of family members and of certain Ukrainian national organizations.

Click here to view a full description of the Klymkiw Family fonds.

[ Back to Prairie Immigration Experience ]