Rose Jarman Bequest

The Ukrainian Museum of Canada is deeply honoured to announce a generous bequest of $76,657.27 from the estate of Rose (Werezak) Jarman, who passed away on August 31, 2024, just days before her 105th birthday. At the time of her death, Rose was our oldest member and one of our most devoted supporters.

Born on September 5, 1919, on her family’s homestead near Hafford, Saskatchewan, Rose was the ninth child (and last survivor) of twelve children born to George and Mary (Budzak) Werezak. Her early life was shaped by resilience, especially after the premature loss of her father, which helped form her strong and independent character.

Rose moved to Saskatoon and raised her son, Zenon, as a single mother beginning when he was ten. She worked tirelessly in clerical, administrative, and sales roles, including at Quaker Oats, where she served as union secretary until the plant closed in 1972, and later in women’s wear at Army & Navy. To support her son’s education, she also rented out rooms in her home. Zenon predeceased her in 2004 at the age of 56.

In 1990, Rose married widower and retired businessman George Jarman at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Yorkton. Together they travelled to Ukraine shortly before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, visiting the ancestral homeland that shaped both their lives. George passed away in 2004.

A dedicated community volunteer, Rose canvassed for the Heart & Stroke Foundation for more than 50 years, receiving recognition twice for her long service. Royal University Hospital honoured her in 2021 on National Philanthropy Day. Deeply proud of her Ukrainian heritage, she supported many cultural and educational initiatives, including the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, scholarships at the P. Mohyla Institute, the Shevchenko Music Program, and Shevchenko’s Kobzar. She was a longtime member of the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Saskatoon, the Hafford Orthodox Church, and the Olha Kobylianska Branch of the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada—for an extraordinary 80 years.

Rose supported many organizations through her estate, but none more generously than the Museum. Her relatives and Estate Executors, Carole Zuk and James Werezak, presented the bequest cheque to Museum Director Jen Budney in November 2025, a moment of profound gratitude and remembrance.

If Rose’s story inspires you to consider including the Ukrainian Museum of Canada in your estate plans, we would be honoured to speak with you. Legacy gifts—large or small—ensure that the culture we steward continues to thrive.

Vichnaya Pamyat. Eternal Memory.