Obituary of Katharina Didkowsky

Katharina Theresia Didkowsky, 95, died on April 18th, 2016 at Grand View Manor in Berwick, Nova Scotia. Katharina was born in Presov, Slovakia, on March 20th, 1921. She was the first of three children born to her father, Johannes, and her mother, Theresia (Csigds) Kassay. Her father had five other children from his previous marriage. Katharina's fondest childhood memories were of time spent with her father, exploring the woods and streams near their home, and learning how to select and cut meats with precision in his butcher shop, where he worked tirelessly. Her mother, a seamstress, taught Katharina the art of sewing perfectly. The knowledge and skills Katharina learned from her mother and father stayed with her all her life. She knew the best cuts of meat (matter of fact, she didn't mind telling shop owners when their meat was poorly cut and of inferior quality), and could make anything from cloth, yarn or salvaged materials. She so loved material that even when she had no purpose in mind, she could not walk by a good bargain or a scrap on the road, just in case it had a purpose in the future. In her early twenties, Katharina met a handsome and jovial young Russian soldier, Vladimir Didkowsky. He was immediately taken by her beauty and bold nature. They wed in September 1943. It was a time of war, Vladimir was often away with the army, and Katharina moved in with his parents in Presov. As the war worsened, Katharina, like others, fled Slovakia. On the run and pregnant - yet always resourceful - she ate grass, made vodka with frozen potatoes to trade for milk, and drew upon the skills she learned in her father's butcher shop, to survive. Her understanding of many languages helped her narrowly escape the extermination camp of Auschwitz. In December 1945 she crossed the border into Austria and gave birth to her first child, John, alone in the forest. She then made her way to the small Austrian village of Geretsberg, where Vladimir eventually joined her. In Geretsberg, they would have a little girl named Marianne, born in August 1948. In 1948, Vladimir, Katharina and their two children made the bold move to immigrate to Canada. They arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax on a ship packed with other people fleeing their war-torn countries. They were given haven in an old school until papers were finalized for them to take the train to Montreal. In Montreal, Vladimir got a job as a furrier, and Katharina as a cleaning lady for the upper crust of Montreal. They worked long hours, saving every penny to raise their children and buy a home in Chateauguay. They carried stones from the forest, planted gardens and trees and developed one of the most beautiful properties in the neighborhood. Their third child, a baby boy they named Peter, was born in September, 1954. Katharina's happiest memories were of family picnics, looking for mushrooms, and walking in the nearby forest. Her love of the outdoors and her knowledge of edible plants and mushrooms, derived from her time on the run, stayed with her throughout her life. She was a mushroom encyclopedia. Katharina was an incredible cook, and was very proud that her husband and children never wanted to miss a meal. Her husband passed away in 1974. The passing of her son Peter in 2002 broke her heart. In 2009, she moved to Nova Scotia to be closer to her son John and his family. Katharina had an amazing, unpredictable sense of humor. Her quick wit and her 'old world' sayings either brought people to their knees laughing or got her in trouble. This quickness of tongue never left her. Katharina also had a beautiful singing voice. She would break out into song whenever and wherever the mood struck her. She found great pleasure in her son's visits each week, and loved when he sang her Russian songs and played guitar. Other family members joined these visits as well, and Katharina sang more and more often her childhood Slovakian school songs and Russian war songs. Even as her condition worsened, and Katharina found it difficult to speak, when her family members took her hand and began to sing Russian songs, she would sing every word with passion, her eyes closed. Katharina was known to her grandchildren as Babushka, and enjoyed laughing, sharing stories and teasing them, teaching them how to cook Russian, Slovak and Hungarian food, and getting them to try on the clothes she had made. Katharina was a fighter and survivor through and through, and remained that way her whole life. She maintained and embodied 'old world' wisdoms, cultural practices and values. She was fiercely practical, capable, strong-willed, independent, creative and sharp. She believed in working hard, that animals are for eating, that you should never throw out anything that can be reused or refashioned for new purposes, and that you can home-remedy everything with ozonol. She was powerful, decisive, and proud. To say that Katharina had spirit would be an understatement. It is, without a doubt, her strong will coupled with her deep faith that helped her through many hardships in her life. Katharina is survived by her son John; daughter-in-law, Kathy; daughter, Marianne; son-in-law, Corny Reese; and grandchildren, Nora, Maria and Nicholas Didkowsky and Nina and Michael Hansen. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Vladimir; son, Peter; and brothers Ladislav and Pavel Kassay. A graveside service will be held in Chateauguay in May. Katharina's family extends a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Grand View Manor and Fundy Villa, Berwick, for their kind care of Katharina and for helping her adjust to living in Nova Scotia. A special note to Jerusha Potter, whose friendship Katharina treasured dearly. Donations in memory of Katharina may be made to Grand View Manor, Attn: Lisa Baltzer, 110A Commercial Street, Berwick, NS, B0P 1E0; or to the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia, 112-2719 Gladstone Street, Halifax, NS, B3K 4W6. Arrangements have been entrusted to the compassionate care of the J. Wilson Allen Funeral Home, Hwy 354, Kennetcook, N.S. Ph 1-902-362-2440 or please visit our website at www.allenfh.ca to sign the guest book or send private condolences.