MONTE VISTA— Born Stefania Czarneski in Kiev Ukraine on April 19, 1923. She met and married Ivan John Kulyk in a Nazi Displaced Persons Camp.
In 1951 several camp families were sponsored by farmers in the San Luis Valley and they made their way to the Monte Vista area. Ivan worked the farm near Rock Creek until the passage for his family of four was paid in full. They eventually moved to La Garita Ranch and finally to Creede, where Ivan worked in the mines.
Stefania passed away peacefully in her sleep on April 13, at the age of 93. She was a resident of Monte Vista Estates.
She is preceded in death by her husband Ivan in 1976.
Stefania is survived by her sons, John and Kathy of Pagosa Springs and Nick and Vicki of Creede; granddaughters, Beth and Freddy Rivas and family of Pagosa Springs and Tricia and Ike Archuleta and family of Albany, Ore.
Services were held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Creede on Wednesday, April 19 with burial at the Creede Cemetery.