Feb 25, 1920 - Dec 26, 2017
Elena was born in Creston, BC to John and Polly Androsoff, the second of three daughters. She had a carefree childhood and remembered rowing across the Creston flats before it was drained and turned into farmland.
In 1932 the family moved to Castlegar and worked their acreage which was next to the rock bluffs above Sherbico Hill. Her teenage years were spent with her parents, her older sister being married and her younger sister too young, it fell to mom to be their helpmate. Working together with them she learned the skills needed to live a full, productive life but not without some fun and happy times with cousins and other teenage friends and relatives in the area.
In 1939 she married Charlie Salekin and spent the next 40 years devoted to bringing up her family. She had a strong will and a capacity for getting things done. Two traits which stood to her advantage. Also she was a very happy person - always singing as she went through her day. She was very genial and had a great sense of humour which made her popular in all social gatherings. She read a great deal in her later years and loved poetry, her favorite being "The Song of Hiawatha."
Her interests revolved around her children and grandchildren and she is much loved by them for that. She was also an excellent needle woman and often invented her own patterns and admitted to crocheting at least 200 afghans in her later years.
After Charlie's passing she reconnected with a teenage friend, Pete Koorbatoff. They spent 10 happy years together in Shoreacres, California and fish camps on the BC coast.
She moved to Rota Villa in her 80's and loved her time there. As her health failed in her late 90's she was moved to Talarico Place until her passing.
Elena is survived by her five children; Fred, Dorothy (Ron), Liz, Charlie (Polly), and Jim, her sister Marion as well as her grandchildren; Arleen, Nita, Julie (Laurie), Jeff (Ann), Aaron (Maureen), Trevor (Joy) and Tamara (Trevor).
The family would like to thank Dr. Megan Jensen and the staff at Talarico Place for their professional care and unending patience.
A funeral service will be held at Castlegar Funeral Chapel on Friday, January 5, 2018 at 10:30 am followed by burial at Park Memorial Cemetery, Castlegar.