Musician, educator.
Born at Rosa on 13 February 1938, daughter of Mary and Mike Ewonchuk, she attended a country school and worked on the family farm before moving to Winnipeg to attend the Manitoba Teachers’ College. In 1955, she met and married Modest William Theodore Sklepowich and they had a son, Michael William Sklepowich (1959-2009), before separating in the 1970s.
In 1964, the couple began performing as the singing duo of Mickey and Bunny (adopting the surname Sheppard) with a repertoire of Ukrainian, Polish, German, and country songs. Their Canadian version of Woody Guthrie's “This Land is Your Land” was especially popular. In the 1960s, they were accompanied by the D-Drifters 5, an instrumental group led by accordionist and bass guitarist Dave Roman. In recognition of their service to Winnipeg’s music community, in 1966 they received City of Winnipeg Community Service Awards from Mayor Steve Juba. In the 2000s, they revived the duo and performed at the Ukrainian Festival at Dauphin.
After obtaining a BEd degree from the University of Manitoba, she worked for over 20 years for Indian and Northern Affairs, teaching literacy and mathematics to students in northern Manitoba communities. She later worked for the Estate Unit of Indian Affairs, helping Indigenous families to manage their estates and end-of-life legal processes.
She died at Winnipeg on 27 May 2023 and was buried in a cemetery at Rosa.
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Alex Groshak (1924-2007)
Obituary [Michael William Sklepowich], Winnipeg Free Press, 23 June 2011.
Obituary, Interlake Cremation & Memorial Services.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 2 November 2026
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