When/where were you born?

Mary Zajac was born Mary Kruk on September 16th, 1937, in Montreal Quebec, CA. She was born to Stella and Theodore Kruk.

Where did you grow up?

She grew up in Montreal, Quebec, CA, and still lives there today. She grew up in an ethnic neighborhood, composed of Ukranian, Polish and French origin. When she was a teenager, she moved to Rosemont, which didn't have as much of the Ukranian ties.

What was your family like?

She was the youngest of 4 children, she has 3 older brothers, Jerry, Gene and Bob.

Favorite Childhood Memory

When her brother would play the violin, and she, her mom, and her Auntie Jane would sing along with him, laughing when they went off-key.

How did your family's culture affect your childhood?

She and her neighborhood would put on a Christmas concert, and then St. Nick would come and give the kids presents. The adults also liked playing jokes on each other, giving anonymous gifts to be opened on stage. Then all the kids would get a paper bag with an orange, a pencil eraser, and a few candies.

What were some things you did as a kid?

When she was kid, Mary participated in church activities, such as Christmas concerts, Children of Mary, Boy Scouts, and Banquets. On Friday evenings the local Polish church would show movies in the basement for 10 cents a ticket.

What were hobbies or interests of yours when you were a teenager?

Occasionaly, Saturday evening dances were held at the the church, and she and a group of girls would go to the dance together, and would dane with boys, although there weren't really steady boyfriends at the time, thery were all just friends. Most teenagers at the time also had weekend jobs at the 5 and dime store.

What was your first job, and how much didi you get paid?

She got her first job at 14 as a sales clerk at the five and dime store with some school friends, working Friday evenings and Saturdays, the month before Christmas. She earned 38 cents an hour.

What was your education like?

She went to a large school with some French students. This school was Grades 1-7, and they we taught to read and write Ukranian seperately from the other students to combine for the regular classes. They also taught Penmanship, which was writing with pens and an inkwell.

How did certain inventions impact you?

She got a telephone, but they had to party-line, or share a line with someone else, making it unreliable and frustrating. She also got a wringer washing machine, which would wash your clothes (after you heated up the water), though they still had to use clotheslines, since dryers had not been invented yet.

How did WW2 affect you?

With the ongoing war in Europe, the single men were being drafted into the army. And, since most of the factories were busy making bombs, cars and other manufactured goods were hard to come by. Also, since houses were hard to come by too, many people took in boarders, although she never had any.

What was the most exciting thing to happen to you?

The most exciting thing was taking over the bus trips. These were shopping trips across the border, and allowed her to get out and visit cities like New York, Washington, and Philadelphia.

How did you meet your significant other?

She met him through banquets and dances held at her church. They met as friends, and she asked him to be her escourt for a dance. After that they dated, going to movies, eating out.

What is your proudest moment?

Her proudest moment was when she got her Drivers License. The Instructor asked for a 20 dollar "guarantee" but she managed to pass the exam without the bribe.

What is your biggest regret?

Her biggest regret is that her mom, who died at 55 from cancer, didn't get to go on her bus trips, because her mom had loved shopping.

What advice would you give to teenagers today?

"My advice to teenagers is to talk one-on-one about your issues and feelings to your parents. Take the time for open discussions if anything is troubling you."

"My greatest and happiest accomplishment was to see how well mu sons have succeeded with their lives-they all have successful careers-all happily married to 3 of the most wonderful daughters-in-law. They have also bestwoed me with the very best 11 grandchildren whom I cherish. To see them all bond so well with each other, even though they are quite a distance away is my richest treasure.