ST. PAUL – Shoppers walked through aisles of produce and crafts at Friday’s weekly Farmers Market in St. Paul. The market was bustling as usual, however, conversations mellowed whenever people approached a table not adorned with the usual assortment of bounty, but instead a tribute to one of the St. Paul Farmers Market’s longtime members and leaders. It was a tribute to a soul deeply woven into the fabric of the St. Paul community.
A photograph, exuding warmth, captured Lillian Pilipchuk’s smile. Next to it, a journal lay open, inviting others to share their memories. Lillian passed away suddenly on Aug. 5 at the age of 77.
Elizabeth Robbie, one of the organizers of the weekly farmers market, explained that Lillian was among the longest serving members of the St. Paul Farmers Market.
“Lillian had a heart of gold. Always willing to help and give guidance to those new and old,” said Robbie.
Lillian was a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, farmer, gardener, animal lover and so much more, said Robbie. She was a firecracker and “was so alive with strength and energy, that it is absolutely unbelievable that she is not here with us today.”
Even so, “She will always live on, in our hearts.”
While it doesn’t feel right to go on without her, “We will go on, because of her,” said Robbie. “Because that is what she would have wanted. She loved to see the community come together.”
Lillian’s mother was among the founding members of the St. Paul Farmers Market. “That’s why it was very important for her for it to be a big success,” especially when Lillian’s mother passed away, said Gloria Yettaw, one of Lillian’s childhood friends.
“Sure, she did a lot of business, but she did a lot to promote the market. Anytime new members came in, she made sure they knew what they were doing. What rules applied to them,” and she helped the market to grow.
Lillian was born and raised in the Lac Bellevue area. She grew up alongside Yettaw, who lived only a few miles away.
Yettaw recalled how Lillian was always filled with energy. She and Lillian enjoyed square dancing when they were teenagers. “We would go to different communities... and just meet up with people that were running a square dance club,” recalled Yettaw.
And Lillian remained energetic, said Yettaw, even until very recently. So, hearing about her friend passing away so suddenly was unbelievable to her. “She’s so full of energy... when there was a customer here, she was right up there greeting them and being social as well.”
A teacher
Lillian was also a former schoolteacher, and “a lot of kids that were her students come back and shop here and say hi... she’s got a lot of friends in the area.”
Terry Stark was one of those students in the early 1970s, back when the Portage College building that currently houses the Friday markets was Glen Avon School. He said Lillian mentored him about gardening.
“We shared ideas. We shared our gardening skills,” said Stark.
Even after Lillian retired, she never stopped teaching. People would constantly ask her for guidance on things like cooking, preserving, and of course – gardening.
“She was a person who was born to teach.”
In addition to being a giver of knowledge, “She gave us that gift to carry on.” She became a mentor to many people.
To honour his teacher, Stark said he asked organizers of the farmers market if he could continue on with Lillian’s table. They said yes.
“I’m going to carry on her tradition.”
For Lillian and many other vendors, it’s about more than just the business aspect of the market, but the community building and the social part of it - a philosophy Stark wants to carry on.
Mother
Trevor Pilipchuk, Lillian’s eldest child among three, agreed, noting that the farmers market was “everything for her.”
“It’s equally about people as it was about her love for her garden... her vegetables... her flowers,” said Trevor.
“She just loved socializing with everybody at the market and seeing all these new and familiar faces. Chatting with old and new friends all the time. Many times, she would chat with me about a new person she would meet and what an interesting conversation she had with this person.”
Lillian was great as a friend and a mentor, but she was also great as a mother, said Trevor. “She was always there when you needed her. She would always drop whatever she was doing.”
If someone needed a hug or a ride, she would drop what she was doing and, “Take care of your needs ahead of hers,” said Trevor. “Whenever we were out of town for a few days, we’d come home and there would be a homemade supper on our counter-top waiting for us... we didn’t have to worry about cooking food.”
As a child, Trevor said he was amazed by the amount of time his mother gave her family despite many of her other commitments. Lillian always wanted to better herself. She took night classes and did not stop learning. She was always thirsty for knowledge.
But she always had time for family. Whenever she could, Lillian “was following her grandkids to watch them play sports,” either physically in the stands or online if she could not make it,” said Trevor.
He thanked his mother for everything she did for him and his siblings.
“For making me the person that I am. I hope you know that... all of us will love you forever and think of you always.”