Anna Ceresne

Anna was born in Taranivka, a small village near Kharkiv, Ukraine. She was one of seven children, four brothers and two sisters.

She is preceded in death by her Father; Alfanazie Ivanovich Ozerov (1888-1968) and her Mother; Sekletina Ivanovna Ladonya (1886-1971)

She survived the horrific Holodomor (famine) of 1932-33. At the age of eighteen, when the Germans invaded Ukraine (1941), she was taken to Germany to work as forced labor on German farms. The Ukrainians would get together on Sundays to socialize and that is when she met her first husband, Iwan Wolansky. At the end of the war, they were moved to displaced person camps with other Ukrainians, Poles and Russians. They were married in 1945 and had two children (Irene and Wladyslaw) in Germany. The family of four arrived in America in September 1951, after sailing ten days on the M.S. "General Stewart." The next day they arrived in Denver by train and were taken to the Polish church in Globeville, CO. With the help of Father Blazejowskyj and other Ukrainians, they found jobs and housing.

In America, their third child (Lesja) was born. Having worked and saved for five years, they purchased their first home, and "life was good." Anna worked in various hotels, Cosmopolitan, Glenarm, Brown Palace and later worked as a housekeeper. Her husband, Iwan, was busy too; at times working two jobs. While working at Montgomery Wards, he suffered a fatal heart attack on October 16, 1964. Anna was left a widow at 39 years of age with three small children to raise.

After five years of widowhood, she married Bill Ceresne (1969) and they lived together 43 years. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 99.

Anna spent many hours doing embroidery and crochet work with her friends Mrs. Labiak, Mrs. Chajkivska, Mrs. Oleksuik. She also enjoyed visiting with her neighbor, Mrs. Dudek. Anna loved her gardening and annual family trips to Glenwood Springs. She especially enjoyed family functions and being with her grandchildren and attending various Ukrainian church events.

When Anna's eyesight began failing due to macular degeneration, she had to give up her hobbies. It was difficult to manage the stairs and she was unable to care for Bill, she went to live with her daughter and son-in-law (Lesja and Jerry Montoya-2010.) She struggled with neuropathy and had three hip replacements.

Anna passed away at the age of 97 and was preceded in death by her husbands, lwan Wolansky and Bill Ceresne and all of her siblings.

She is survived by her three children, eight grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.