NELLIE BILOKRELI (DEMKIW)The family of Nellie Bilokreli sadly announce her peaceful passing on Friday, April 14, 2017 in Saskatoon just shy of her 93rd birthday. Nellie was born on the family farm in Ethelbert, Manitoba on April 24,1924 to Paul and Mary Demkiw (Syrnyk). She enjoyed a happy childhood growing up in rural Saskatchewan and with her father employed by the C.P.R. as a section foreman, the family lived in several rural communities including Watson, Leroy, Denzil, Floral, and Jansen. In 1941, the family relocated to Theodore where Nellie completed her final year of high school. Immediately after completing high school, she and her sister, Annie, left to attend Normal School in Regina. Because of the war, there was a teacher shortage and Nellie had only three weeks of training before she was sent out to teach at her first school. She taught at several single room schools throughout Saskatchewan and Manitoba. However, a certain young man named Murray Bilokreli, whom she had met in her last year of high school, drew her back to Theodore. In 1951, Nellie and Murray were married and together began building their new life. Nellie put her teaching career on hold to start a family but resumed teaching in Theodore in 1956 and continued until her retirement in 1979. Nellie was a dedicated and conscientious teacher. Nellie was an enthusiastic traveller who, when her family was young, coordinated annual summer vacations across Canada and the United States. These family vacations eventually evolved and expanded to include the grandchildren and vacations to British Columbia, Disneyland in California, Disneyworld in Florida, and Hawaii. Nellie also visited several European countries including a trip with Murray to the Ukraine in 1991 to visit Bilokreli ancestors. Murray and Nellie had a wide circle of friends and enjoyed playing canasta and troika games with the Polowicks, Sookochoffs, Derows, Hooges, Lysaks, and the Leibrechts. She spent her time gardening, knitting, crocheting and doing crossword and other word puzzles. Nellie was an avid reader. She was a member of the Theodore United Church and taught Sunday school for many years. Nellie also volunteered as the secretary of the Whitesand Regional Park for a number of years.Nellie resided at the Parkridge Centre in Saskatoon for the past ten years where she received outstanding care and was treated with love, care, compassion, dignity, and respect. She enjoyed and took part in many activities in her new home such as the musical performances at Parkridge as well as the Christmas outings to the Festival of Trees and the Noon Hour Choir Festival. She especially enjoyed watching the school age children perform and of course never missed the excursions for ice cream. Nellie's birthdays, Mother's Day and Christmas always included family suppers.Nellie is survived by her son, Bryan (Donna) Bilokreli and grandchildren, Melanie (Jason) Wagar and Mandy (Jonny) Bast; Charlene (George) Ferguson and grandchildren, Braden Ferguson, Erin Ferguson, Jennifer (Jagdeep) Dhanjal and Brett (Jennifer) Ferguson, and seven great grandchildren all of Saskatoon, SK. She is also survived by her sister, Marge (Bruce) Mihalcea of Regina, brother-in-law, Jim Bilokreli and sisters-in-law, Edith and Dorcas Bilokreli. Nellie was predeceased by her husband, Murray, her parents, Paul and Mary Demkiw, her sister, Annie, her parents-in-law, Nickolas and Frances Bilokreli, brothers-in-law, John, Edward, Walter, Mike, Rudy and sisters-in-law, Helen and Eunice Bilokreli.Friends and family wishing to make a donation in Nellie's memory may do so to the Theodore United Church or the Alzheimer's Society.A Service to Celebrate the Life of Nellie Bilokreli was held on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 from Theodore United Church in Theodore, Saskatchewan.Friends so wishing may forward their condolences to the family by visiting www.christiesfuneralhome.com. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Christie's Funeral Home & Crematorium, Yorkton, Saskatchewan.