7/23/2008 – News
Volume 125, Number
Terleckis to be inducted into Minnewaukan Hall of Fame
BY RICHARD PETERSON
Dr. Jaroslaw "Doc" and Sophia Terlecki will be inducted into Minnewaukan’s Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 26. The Terleckis were a part of Minnewaukan from 1951 to 2008.
Doc and Sophia came to Minnewaukan in January of 1951 and he practiced medicine in Minnewaukan until a few months before he died on December 6, 1986. She continued to live in Minnewaukan until a few weeks before her death on April 26, 2008.
Jaroslaw Terlecki was born Sept. 19, 1910 near Boryslaw in the Western Ukraine, the son of Gregory and Eugenia Litinska Terlecky. At that time Boryslaw was an oil industrial city which had a population of about 46,000. The Western Ukraine was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so called Galicia, with Vienna as the capital city.
He witnessed the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the war for independence of the Ukraine between 1918 and 1919 and the partition of the Ukrainian territories among the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania.
He attended primary and secondary schools in Boryslav, Lviv and Drohobych in the Western Ukraine, between 1916 and 1928. The schools were Ukrainian. The curriculum in the secondary school included courses in Latin, Greek, modern languages, science, mathematics and religion.
In 1928 he was accepted into medical school at Yagellonian University in Krakow, Poland. Gaining admission was difficult as a result of the quotas based on nationality. Poland was a multinational republic and the medical school allocated a limited number of spaces to each nationality group. Only about 65 of 2,000 applicants were admitted to his first-year medical school class at Krakow. He was one of several Ukrainians selected and he graduated from medical school in 1935. He completed his internship and residencies in Poland, Austria and Germany. He wanted to specialize in surgery, but World War II intervened.
In 1939 Poland was invaded by Hitler’s Germany and was divided between the Soviet Union and Germany. He was in the territory taken by Germany. During the German occupation of Poland he worked in civilian hospitals in Krakow and the vicinity. In 1944 he was taken by the Germans to Germany. Upon arrival in Vienna he was required to register for work. He didn’t know whether he’d work there as a physician or on an assembly line making airplanes.
He was assigned to a civilian hospital in Austria. Toward the end, he was transferred to Frankfurt, Germany. By the time he arrived there the war had ended.
In Frankfurt he witnessed more foreigners than Germans, all aimlessly walking the streets of the city, all hungry and angry. It took but a few days for the American authorities to organize camps for all those foreigners, which provided shelter and two meals a day. Dr. Terlecki found two more physicians and a few nurses — enough to establish a medical center to care for all those displaced people.
Sophia was born Dec. 21, 1922 near Peremyshl, Ukraine to Bernard Gross and Deborah Abend Gross. She obtained her primary and secondary education in the city of Peremyshl. The city was located on the river San on the Polish-Ukrainian border. She studied to become a teacher, but her career in education was interrupted by World War II.
During the war the city was under German occupation and she was compelled to go to Germany to work. In 1942 she arrived in Frankfurt. There she was assigned to a Catholic hospital as a nurse. When the war ended she left the German hospital and went to work at the medical center for displaced persons, where she met Doc.
They decided to emigrate to the United States because neither wanted to remain in Germany nor return to the Ukraine, which had fallen to the Soviet Union.
Sophia and Doc worked at the medical center until June of 1947. On July 17, 1947 they arrived in New York City, sponsored by the Church World Service.
Upon arriving in New York City Doc entered school to learn English. In November of 1947 he began work as a resident physician in St. James Hospital, Newark, NJ. Sophia found a job as a live-in companion for an elderly lady in New York City.
They were married in New York City in 1948. In January of 1950 they moved to Devils Lake, where he was employed at Mercy Hospital. In January of 1951 he passed the North Dakota State Board Medical Examination and they settled in Minnewaukan.
His first offices were in a couple rooms in the Arlington Hotel, donated by owners Vernon and Jackie Lysne. The hotel was located where the FSA-Bank Building is now located.
The Lysnes and Terleckis became close friends and Vernon also served as Doc’s chauffeur, since Doc did not have a driver’s license when they arrived in Minnewaukan. Doc had a brand new 1951 Dodge 4-door but couldn’t drive it the first few weeks they were in Minnewaukan.
In April of 1951 his offices were moved into a new building built by the American Legion to serve as his clinic and as the dental offices for Dr. E.O. Yri.
Their first home in Minnewaukan was in the "chicken coop" which was located north of the Sherman and Lori Cline home. They later lived in the home now occupied by Myron and Mary Jury and eventually built a new home west of the swimming pool.
Doc was a much beloved general practitioner who was extremely good at diagnosis. He never hesitated to send his patients on to specialists after he had determined their ailments.
He was honored by the ND Medical Association for having served in the medical profession for 50 years and that same year was honored by the Ukrainian Cultural Institute in Dickinson. He was also honored by his community at a Dr. Terlecki Day.
Sophia volunteered in connection with her children’s school and related activities, including a stint as a teacher of German in the Minnewaukan School and as a chaperone at 4-H camp during summers. In addition, she was active in a regional medical auxiliary organization and she held a number of volunteer posts in the Democratic party over the years, including precinct and ward chair. She also was a regular volunteer worker at the polls on election days and served as the Red Cross disaster chairwoman for a number of years. Through the Timely Topics Club, of which she was a member, Mrs. Terlecki hosted a tea in her home for the graduating high school senior girls and their mothers each year for more than 40 years. She was an avid gardener and enjoyed raising numerous varieties of vegetables and fruits. She also was gifted in culinary arts and enjoyed cooking and baking.
Both Doc and Sophia loved life in Minnewaukan and North Dakota.
They are the parents of two daughters, Catherine Terlecki Goldberg, an attorney, and Marta Terlecki, a physician, and their respective husbands Joe Goldberg and Terry Edwards, all of Albuquerque, NM. Four grandchildren also survive.
The late Sophia and Dr. Jaroslaw Terlecki will be inducted into Minnewaukan’s Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 26.
Champs Camp
Champs Camp 2008 was recently held at the Maddock High School gym. Grades 1-3 participants were, left to right, front row: Jacob Arnold, Carter Tandeski, Chase Benson, Gunner Hagen, Kadin Neppl, Madyson Sears and Skylar Arnold. Second row: Brady Kallenbach, Connor Arnold, Jay Garcia, Gannon Griffin, Charity Dosch, Samuel Hill, Will Rice and Talissa Aabrekke. Third row: assistant coach Jason Smith, Tate Benson, Kevin Johnson, Spencer Olson, Zachary Hill, Seth Jaeger, Parker Schmid and coach Michael Sorlie. Back row: assistant coach Beau Buehler, Ethin Johnson, Rebecca Johnson, Faith Dosch, Taylor Foss, Gannon Engkvist and Evan Eyl.
Grades 4-6 participants in the Champs Camp were, left to right, front row: Kyler Westad, Ethan Karlsbraaten, Allyson Lauinger, Noah Arnold, Courtney Lauinger, Spencer Sears, Jaydin Risovi and Brooks Duren. Second row: assistant coach Beau Buehler, Jakob Schmid, Ashley Risovi, Hailey Kallenbach, Kaylee Tollerud, Quentin Sears, Hunter Buehler, Megan Olson and Blake Buckmier. Third row: coach Michael Sorlie, Shanda Ironheart Bercier, Kaleb Westad, Shawn Aabrekke, Kelsey Smith, Renae Lauinger and assistant coach Jason Smith.
Lake Region Farm Woman of the Year
The Lake Region Agriwomen have chosen Carol Backstrom of Maddock as the 2008 Farm Woman of the Year. Carol and her husband, Philip have a diversified farm west of Maddock. She operates most of the farm machinery, delivers parts, does the bookkeeping and delivers meals.
She is active in her church, FFA and 4-H, her community and has home schooled their three sons, Josh, Caleb and Jordan.
Hvindens have good time in NYC
Brian Hvinden treated his dad, Marlan Hvinden to the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star game at Yankee Stadium July 15. The trip was a combined birthday and Father’s Day gift. They attended the Future Stars All-Star Game at the stadium on Sunday, July 13 and on Monday, July 14 they watched Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton hit a record 28 home runs in the first round of the All-Star Home Run Derby, which was eventually won by Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau. Their seats were on the first base side of home plate. The trip was a once-in-a-lifetime event in that 47 living Hall of Fame members were in attendance for the pre-game ceremonies. Marlan Hvinden is a native of Maddock who now resides in Petersburg.
Marlan also won a Yankees jersey number 21, which was the number worn by Yankees All-Star Paul O’Neil who played in five All-Star Games, 1990 for Cincinnati and in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 as a member of the Yankees. The drawing selected a random seat in the stadium and the lucky ticket holder received the jersey. Brian will receive the jersey since he has been a devoted Yankees fan since he was five years old. He has season tickets at the stadium but sells off many of them because his work is headquartered in Boston.
They also toured Liberty Island, home of the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island, where thousands of immigrants first set foot on American soil, including Marlan’s great-grandmother and great-grandfather and his grandparents, Christ and Christine Hvinden and Alfred and Marie Sogge.
Replicas of the Statue of Liberty were created for the 2008 All- Star Game and placed throughout New York City. Brian and Marlan Hvinden pose with the one representing the American League, which was placed on Ellis Island. The National League Statue was on Liberty Island.
Each of the teams in both leagues had statues placed in the city as well. The New York City skyline is in the background.
Marlan Hvinden, left, of Petersburg and son Brian are shown at Yankee Stadium prior to the start of the July 15 All-Star Game.
