Descendents, supporters celebrate Caribou church History, service, blessing of graves and a meal

About 100 people gathered in the northernmost reaches of Kittson County on Saturday, June 14 to celebrate their heritage.
A group of passionate Ukrainian descendants organized the 120th anniversary gathering at the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Cars parked along the driveway and in the adjoining field with license plates from Minnesota, both Dakotas Manitoba, Texas, Montana, Wisconsin and Oregon.
Violet Levenhagen, of Lake Bronson, and her brothers, David Karol and Gerald Karol were all at the event. Their uncle, Samuel Karol, was a member-founder of the church, among 18 other families who helped build the church over several years.
It was a bittersweet gathering for Brent Lindstrom, of Hallock, whose mother Marie Lindstrom recently passed away but had been deeply involved in the restoration of the church she attended as a child. Lindstrom’s maiden name was Weleski.
Bruce Weleski, of Lancaster, and his mother, Betty Weleski, attended and enjoyed the service as well. Betty’s mother- and father-in-law, as well as her late husband’s grandparents are buried in the cemetery and it was a pleasure to witness their graves being blessed by the Right Rev. Father Taras Udod, of Winnipeg.
The event included a service inside the small church on site, which is on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. Approximately 20 people fit inside the sanctuary for the service, while others circulated in the small entryway to listen and catch a glimpse.
After about an hour, local volunteers and descendents carried religious banners and a Ukrainian cross to the exterior of the church as Father Udod blessed the main monument, and later the graves in the cemetery.
He especially blessed a new marker placed between headstones for Alexander and Maria Myketey, the couple who donated the land for the church in 1905.
After the blessings, those gathered enjoyed a hearty meal of perogies, cabbage rolls, ham and buns, along with desserts. Many shared stories from childhood or those told by their parents of growing up at the church or in the area.
This celebration could be the last as many who have taken care of the church, cemetery and yard are aging. However, there were several young people there – many Weleskis – so it’s possible this tradition may continue through the years.