Kovach couple together again in Kipling

James (Jim) and Theresa Kovach, who have been married for 65 years, were reunited after living in separate care homes in Regina for the past five years.

 He went into the system first in 2015 and she went into a care home in 2017, and since there was no room for her at the same care home as her husband, so she had to go to a different care home.

Their daughter Sharon Kovach took her mom to visit her dad every week.

“She was happy where she was but she was missing dad,” says Sharon.

She went to a number of different care homes until Sharon could figure out a way to get her back with her husband James.

“Because of COVID, I couldn’t put them together,” explains Sharon.

The Kovach couple has many connections to Kipling. Their relatives include Balogh, Szabo, Szakacs, Daku and Kish families through marriage. That is pretty much all the namesakes who started out in this community.

The couple lived in Kipling in the late 70’s and early 80’s where James was a professional surveyor,

“I woke up one morning and thought to myself ‘You know my grandma stayed in that care home in Kipling for a long time’ and I made a phone call one day and asked to be put on a list. I didn’t think anything would happen right away but it wasn’t long after that I got a phone call and said they had a bed available,” explains Sharon.

“Tell Sharon I’m shocked!” says James as he teared up.

“I want you to know, Dad, that the reason you’re moving back to Kipling is so that you and Mom could be together,” says Sharon.

James just smiled and said ‘Yes’.

“Finally!” Sharon summed it up in just one word.

The Kovach couple were moved out of Regina by a company called ‘Driven With Care’ to the care home in Kipling in February after living apart since 2015.

“Mom was so glad to finally see Dad because she was missing him so much,” says Sharon.

“They can spend the rest of their days together,” says daughter Sharon.

“Hopefully this summer they can have a tour around Kipling,” explains Sharon. “And take him by his old farmyard to reminisce. He remembers the area and farmed here all his life. After moving away from Kipling he would still come back every year to help out with the farming.”

The couple keeps busy at their new location.

“Mom used to be a seamstress all her life so she still likes to sew at age 84,” explains Sharon “and if that doesn’t keep her busy enough she also likes to crochet and knit.”

Theresa always did make the comment to her daughter:

“I do all that because I don’t want to lose my mind.”

“I’m glad they’re home,” said a very excited Sharon. “It’s like my grandma (Kovach) was watching from above to make sure they got ‘back home.’”

Once the couple was settled in at Kipling, Sharon said to her Dad ‘Welcome home Dad’.

He just smiled and said “Thank you!”