Anna Cuerida Purych

August 11, 1938 - March 10, 2023

It is with great sadness and broken hearts that we announce the passing of Anna Cuerida Purych. Cuerida was born in Peers, Alberta on August 11, 1938. She passed away peacefully at St. Joseph’s Home - Carmel Hospice in Medicine Hat on March 10, 2023, at the age of 84. Cuerida was the eldest of five children. Growing up on the family farm kept them busy with hard work and lots of good times, many good stories were told. Cuerida was blessed with a daughter, Carol, at the age of 16. She was young and knew she had to provide for her daughter and help with the farm, so she went to Edmonton to find work while her mom cared for Carol. In 1956, she met and married the love of her life, Metro (Matt) Purych, and they brought four beautiful children into the world. Heartbreakingly, Matt passed away before their fourth child was born. Things were never the same for Cuerida, but she had children to raise and life moved on. Cuerida was blessed with two more children when she met Michael Yasinchuk and they lived on the Yasinchuk family farm for a few years before they relocated to Prince George, B.C. Her life’s journey took her up north to Fort. St. John, B.C. in the early 1970’s and finally to Medicine Hat in 2015. Cuerida loved a party and would dance the night away if she could! She spent much of her spare time listening to music, reading, crocheting, sewing, and most of all she loved to go for walks with her fur babies. She always had two “or more” dogs, plenty of cats, and two cockatiels throughout her lifetime. She loved them all, they were her babies and her companions. Cuerida was always a hard worker. She started out in the hotel/restaurant industry waitressing and eventually went on to cooking, which she had a talent for and loved to do. She worked in the parts department of a car dealership and loved it! Her most favorite job of all was cooking in oilfield and highway camps. She was over the moon because she could take her fur babies to camp with her. She embraced the peacefulness of the wilderness and would go for long walks with her dogs every day. She even had some encounters with the wild critters that lived there. She was so proud of her career and built a prestigious reputation for her cooking. She had many great memories to talk about! We will miss her very much! Cuerida is predeceased by her mother and stepfather, Carole and Art Boles; husband, Metro Purych; brother, Bud Bryant; sons, Rocky and Randy Purych; daughter, Pam Purych; grandson, Matthew Yasinchuk; granddaughter, Jodi Roberts; daughter-in-law, Kathy Purych; sonin-laws, Gord Herbst and Kenneth (Dino) Okimaw. Cuerida is survived by her siblings, Mary Bryant (Harvey), Shirley Olson (Larry), and May Eisert; her daughters, Carol Bespoyasny (Ernie), Lynn Purych, Twyla and Deneen Yasinchuk; as well as many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. She will be forever in our hearts and memories. A Celebration of Life will take place in Prince George, BC this Summer. We would like to extend our thanks to Cuerida’s home care and palliative staff, Dr. Malmberg, the staff at Sandstone Pharmacy, the staff at St. Josephs’s Home - Carmel Hospice, and the staff at Saamis Memorial for the care and compassion they showed towards Cuerida and our family. Memorial gifts in Cuerida Purych’s memory may be made to S.P.C.A., 55 Southview Drive SW, Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 8E8. Condolences may be sent through www.saamis.com or to condolences@saamis.com subject heading Cuerida Purych. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to SAAMIS MEMORIAL FUNERAL CHAPEL AND CREMATORIUM, “The Chapel in the Park”, Medicine Hat, Alberta. Should you wish any additional information, please telephone 1-800-3172647.