Michael Jarokosky immigrated to Canada from Willawcze
Bukovina, Ukraine in 1912 at the age of 16 to work on the
railroad. Arriving in Winnipeg about 10:00 a.m., he was
hired to stack cement bags in a building. When dinner
time arrived the men discovered that there were worms
in the stew. That night, to escape this situation, some
of the older men along with Mike paid the switchmen a
few dollars to allow them to board the box cars as they
called it "beating the freight", which took them to Calgary.
Here they got a job with the City of Calgary putting in
water mains. They also blasted rock to lay the railroad
to Golden, B.C. Later as work was available he went to
work for the C. P.. R. shovelling coal into dump cars
at Fort Macleod. The following fall he got a job at the
Felger Farming Co. south of Lethbridge. Here they
threshed, hauling grain to Lethbridge with horses over
the Six Mile Coulee. Crossing at the wooden trestle
bridge, and returning with the grain tank filled with
necessary farm supplies was part of his job. Because of
the war years, European immigrants found themselve
without jobs, and placed in camps. During winter months,
the coal mines provided them with work, while summer
brought farm employment.

Mike met Ethel Zasadny at Hardieville (No. 6 Mine) in
192I. Ethel was a daughter of John and Mary Zasadny
who had come to Canada in 1908 with brothers Alex
and Sam. These brothers all worked on the C.P.R.
high level bridge in Lethbridge. Ethel and Michael
were marxied in 1924. In 1925 they farmed south of
Coaldale for one year. They moved to Eight Mile Lake
District and rented farm land from the C.P.R. In 1928
Mike acquired a quarter section of land through a rental
purchase agreement with the C.P.R. In 1939 he
purchased the SE and NW quarters of 3-8-21. Here he
farmed until his passing in 1957, survived by a son and
daughter. In 1961 Ethel moved into the city of Lethbridge

Over the years the family farm has produced grain, and
potatoes, on irrigation; as well as the livestock, purebred
hogs and cattle. Belgian draft horses have played an
integral part both as a business and hobby for all
family members.

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