Anka Konjevic: Baba. Cook. Immigrant. Matriarch. Born Oct. 25, 1926, in Brlog, Lika; died June 21, 2024, in Wallaceburg, Ont., of dementia; aged 97.
Anka KonjevicCourtesy of family
Anyone who knew Anka knew her to be strong. Strong in every sense of the word. Strong-willed, some might say feisty. Strong physically, still raking leaves in her 90s. And especially strong in dedication to family. For her, family was everything.
Anka Budisavljevic’s life began idyllically with a loving family on a farm in the former Yugoslavia, but the Second World War changed all of that. On one occasion, German soldiers marched the family out of their home and 16-year-old Anka wrapped her head in a scarf and pretended to have typhoid fever. The soldiers tripped over themselves in retreat.
Like so many displaced Serbs, Anka walked to freedom. Anka, her father and brother adapted to life in overcrowded displacement camps in Italy. She often told the story of washing clothes for soldiers to earn perks, such as soap. Other refugees thought this beneath them but to Anka it made practical sense.
Anka eventually immigrated to England and worked in a textile factory in Bradford, Yorkshire. She lost part of her forefinger in an industrial accident and spent the rest of her life self-consciously hiding it. But, like many other times in her life, she made the best of it and used the settlement money to defray the costs of her family’s passage to Canada.
Anka and Nikola faced countless challenges as they started their life together but Anka’s frugality, perseverance, superior cooking skills and love of family made the going smoother. They were buttressed on either side by family and close friends with the Serbian church down the street. Their children, Mitzi, Violet and George, grew up with their cousins. Anka not only stoically defended her children but her niece and nephews as well. When a large teenage boy threatened her nephew, Anka sent him running with a verbal thrashing. A neighbourhood bully is no match for someone who took on German soldiers as a teen.
Anka was steadfastly loyal to her church for as long as she was able. When her children were all in their teens, Anka went to work. She took pride in working as a seamstress at the GM plant for 20 years and saved unwaveringly for her children’s education. She was determined her children would get the education she lost out on.
Their grandchildren loved going to Baba (Anka) and Djeda’s (Nikola’s) house. Djeda planned fun things to do and Baba kept them overly fed and spotlessly clean. She took pride in their accomplishments, saved for their education, displayed their pictures in every available space and bragged about them to friends.
Anka faced many challenges in her life but nothing was more formidable than dementia. She would say, “Borim se,” “I am fighting.” And she did, right to the end, with strength, courage, love and a deep faith.
Violet Towell is Anka Konjevic’s daughter.
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