- X -
 
Simonne BERNIER
- X -
Auray MEILLEUR






Photo de noces d'Auray et de Simonne

naissance 9 août 1929 à St-Jean-Baptiste MB, baptême 11 à l'église St-Jean-Baptiste MB, par Eugène Alfred Chamberland, p/m Joseph Colette & Louise Grégoire Colette.
 


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naissance 27 juillet 1930 à Fisher Branch MB, baptême 17 août à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rév. François-Xavier Leroux, p/m Louis Dandeneau & Fidélise Benoit Dandeneau,
décès 16 octobre 2021 à Fisher Branch MB, âge : 91 ans, funérailles 23 à Immaculate Conception Parish in Fisher Branch MB by invitation only,

 

Père :  Ovila (Ovide) MEILLEUR
Mère : Zéphérina GAUTHIER

 

Note : Virtuose renommé de Steel Guitar.

 

Marié(e) 6 octobre 1951 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rev. Léo Marchand,

13 enfants (6 fils, 7 filles) :

Photo de famille prise en 2001
50e anniversaire de mariage d'Auray et Simonne

50e anniversaire de mariage, octobre 2001

à l'arrière : Gérald, Réal, Estelle, Réjean, Pauline, Gilbert, Jacqueline, Lucien et Roger
à l'avant : Anita, Claudette, Auray et Simonne, Dolorès et Mariette

    

1.1. Jacqueline Marie-Anne MEILLEUR, naissance 29 juillet 1952 à Memorial Hospital, Arborg MB, baptême 7 août à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rév. Léo Marchand. Marié(e) 29 juillet 1972 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rev. Hilaire Gagné, o.m.i., Régis Laurent GAUTHIER, naissance 25 avril 1948 à Hunter Memorial Hospital, Teulon MB, (fils de Joseph II GAUTHIER et Yvonne Marie CHÈVREFILS). 4 enfants.


1.2. Réal Aurèle MEILLEUR, naissance 4 février 1954 à Red Cross Hospital, Fisher Branch MB, baptême 14 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rév. Léo Marchand, p/m Ovila Meilleur & Zéphérina Gauthier Meilleur. Première communion le 9 avril 1961 par rév. Aurèle Lemoine o.m.i. à l'église du Précieux-Sang de St-Boniface, MB. Confirmation le 5 avril 1961 par Mgr Maurice Baudoux à l'église du Précieux-Sang de St-Boniface MB. Marié(e) 11 août 2012 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rév. Paul Bisson, Beverley WAWRUCK (fille de Walter WAWRUCK et Alice BALÉ).

mariage le 11 août 2012 à Fisher Branch MB


1.3. Roger Paul MEILLEUR, naissance 9 février 1955 à Red Cross Hospital, Fisher Branch MB, baptême 20 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch, MB, par rév. Léo Marchand, p/m Roger Bernier & Eva Meilleur Bernier. Première communion le 5 août 1962 par rév. Léo Marchand, même paroisse. Confirmation par Mgr George Bernard Flahiff le 23 juillet 1964, Immaculée-Conception de Fisher Branch MB. Roger Meilleur, octobre 2001

1.4. Lucien Donald MEILLEUR, naissance 9 janvier 1956 à Red Cross Hospital, Fisher Branch MB, baptême 15 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch, MB, par rév. Léo Marchand. Marié(e) 27 mai 1978 à Arborg MB, par rev. Denis Bourbonnais o.m.i., Cindy Dora CRONES, naissance 8 décembre 1957 à St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg MB, (fille de Louis CRONES et Jawdohia KRAWEC). 3 enfants.


1.5. Gilbert Léo MEILLEUR, naissance 27 janvier 1957 à St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg MB, baptême 3 février à la cathédrale St-Boniface, Winnipeg MB, par rév. Joseph Choiselat. Marié(e) 30 mai 1981 à Steinbach MB, Mary FEHR, naissance 8 août 1962 à Winkler MB, (fille de Abram FEHR et Anna GIESBRECT) baptême 10. 4 enfants.


1.6. Estelle Rose-Marie MEILLEUR, naissance 17 février 1958 à St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg MB, baptême 2 mars à la cathédrale St-Boniface, Winnipeg MB, par rév. Léo Couture.
(1) Marié(e) 21 avril 1979 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rev. Denis Bourbonnais o.m.i., Lloyd James HALLETT, naissance 27 septembre 1958 à Fisher Branch Hospital, Fisher Branch MB, (fils de Bruce HALLETT et Lorna EWING). 4 enfants (4 fils).
(2) Marié(e) 25 août 1990 à Winnipeg MB, Keith William REAVIE, naissance 8 juin 1953 à Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg MB, (fils de Kenneth REAVIE et Lita Mary Ruth GRIER).
(3) Marié(e) 30 mai 1999, James Rodney PIKE, naissance 21 octobre 1959 à Fort William ON.


1.7. Gérald David MEILLEUR, naissance 13 février 1959 à St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg MB, baptême 22 à l'église du Précieux-Sang, St-Boniface, Winnipeg MB, par rév. A. Keroack o.m.i.. Marié(e) 28 novembre 1981 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rev. Denis Bourbonnais o.m.i., Darlene Edith GUIMOND, naissance 9 février 1964 à Misericordia General Hospital, Winnipeg MB, (fille de Rosario GUIMOND et Jeanne COUTU). 4 enfants.


1.8. Claudette Lorraine MEILLEUR, naissance 21 octobre 1960 à St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg MB, baptême 30 à l'église du Précieux-Sang, St-Boniface, Winnipeg MB, par rév. Roland Tessier.
(1) Marié(e) 19 juillet 1980 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB par rév. Denis Bourbonnais o.m.i., Keith Allen STODGELL, naissance 7 février 1954 à Fisher Branch Hospital MB, (fils de Frank STODGELL et Kathleen HALLETT). 1 enfant.
(2) Mariage civil 7 août 1996 à Clear Lake MB, Dean William CRAIG, naissance 22 février 1960 à Port Arthur ON, (fils de Murray CRAIG et Geraldine SPICER). 2 enfants.


1.9. Dolorès Thérèse MEILLEUR, naissance 15 juin 1963 à St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg MB, baptême 23 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch, MB, par rév. Léo Marchand. Marié(e) 15 juin 1985 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rév. Denis Bourbonnais, o.m.i., Robert George Jos. WEDENSKY, naissance 12 avril 1953 à Roblin MB, (fils de Nicholas WEDENSKY et Imelda CARRIÈRE), décès 28 mar 2009 à Ste. Anne Hospital, Winnipeg, âge : 55 ans, "after a courageous battle with cancer", funérailles 3 avril à Notre Dame de Lorette Church with Fr. Armand LeGal officiating, sépulture au Eriksdale Cemetery in Eriksdale MB. 3 enfants.


1.10. Pauline Patricia MEILLEUR, naissance 4 août 1964 à St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg MB, baptême 23 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rév. Gélinas o.m.i.
Partenaire Kris Roland BARRETT, naissance 22 janvier 1963 à Red Cross Hospital, Fisher Branch MB, (fils de Cubby (Roland P.) BARRETT et Rosie (Rose) Élisabeth Jeanne SCHMIDT) p/m Fred II Schmidt & Zéphérina Payment Schmidt. Un fils.
(2) Marié(e) 27 janvier 1990 à Winnipeg MB, Doug (Douglas Kenneth) DELF, naissance 7 janvier 1959 à St.Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg MB, (fils de Kenneth DELF et Rosemary WALLACE). 2 enfants.


1.11. Mariette Carole Colette MEILLEUR, naissance 21 février 1966 à St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg MB, baptême 6 mars à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rév. Léo Marchand.
(1) Marié(e) 24 septembre 1988 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB par rév. Ephrem Pelletier o.m.i., Réal Hector DESJARDINS, naissance 10 avril 1963 à Fisher Branch, MB, (fils de Maurice DESJARDINS et Elzire GUIMOND). 1 enfant.
(2) Marié(e) 26 juin 1994 à Cape Dorset NWT, Stuart Kendall EVANS, naissance 14 mars 1961 à Castlegar BC, (fils de Edward EVANS et Marjorie ROCKVILLE) emploi(s) Corporal GRC. 2 enfants.


1.12. Anita Marcella MEILLEUR, naissance 9 décembre 1967 à St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg MB, baptême 24 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rév. Dunphy.
(1) Marié(e) 14 août 1993 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB par rév. Stanislaw Gacek, Avery Dale Errol HARRISON, naissance 26 août 1957 à Olds AB, (fils de Tom HARRISON et Sandra HUNTER). 2 enfants.
(2) Marié(e) 30 mai 2012 Tom ARMSTRONG.


1.13. Réjean Jules MEILLEUR, naissance 1er septembre 1973 à Memorial Hospital, Arborg MB, baptême 30 à l'église Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB, par rév. Hilaire Gagné, o.m.i. Marié(e) 24 février 2004 à Jamaica, Cheryl Lynn KAWAZA, naissance 18 mars 1973, (fille de Paul KAWAZA et Lynda WANAG). Un enfant.


Simonne BERNIER & Auray MEILLEUR

I, Simonne Angéline Marie, was born Friday August 9, 1929, in St. Jean-Baptiste, Manitoba, the daughter of Joseph Bernier and Corinne Grégoire. I am part of the tenth generation of the Grégoire family in Canada. I was baptized on August 11, 1929, by Rev. Fr. Eugene-Alfred Chamberland. My godparents were Joseph and Louise Collette née Grégoire.

  • The Year's Top Story : Stock market crashes, prices collapse, Great Depression begins.

  • News of the Month : Landing of any immigrant under a labour contract is prohibited. Famed Italian composer claims that jazz will be the end of opera, the airship "Graf Zeppelin" completes trip around the world.

  • Prime Minister : Mackenzie King.

  • U.S. President : Herbert C. Hoover

  • Famous Firsts : Popeye appeared in cartoon ... Dunlop Rubber Co. produced foam rubber ... Aluminium furniture manufactured ... In-sink garbage disposal invented ... Ambassador bridge, longest suspension bridge in the world, opened ... Nestle Colonnse ... hems below the knee ...

  • And the Winner Is ...

    • Best Movie - The Broadway Melody.

    • Best Actors - Warner Baxter and Mary Pickford.

    • Grey Cup - Hamilton Tigers 14, Regina 3.

    • Stanley Cup - Boston Bruins over New York.

  • Tunes of the Times - Happy Days Are Here Again ... Singin' In The Rain ... Star Dust.

  • Life in Canada - Population -10,029,000 ; 3 Br. Home - $4,825 ... Avg. Income - $1,166 ... New Ford - $810, ... Gas, 1 litre - 7¢ ... Bread - 23¢ ; Milk - 19¢.

  • Fun Facts & More ... First science-fiction comic strip, Buck Rogers, began ... Amos and Andy debuted on network radio --- Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians opened in New York Roosevelt Hotel and started a New Year's tradition, Auld Lang Syne

Until I was 9 years old, my parents nicknamed me, "Poulette". At the early age of almost three, my parents moved 150 miles to the north in Fisher Branch, Manitoba, with the other members of our family, Alma, Paul and Roger. I made my First Communion on May 31, 1936 by Rév. Fr. Léo Marchand, parish priest in the Immaculate Conception Church, in Fisher Branch, Manitoba. In June of 1940 I was Confirmed by Mgr. Sinnott.

Simonne à trois ans

Simonne à 9 ans

Simonne, 3 ans,
sur le tracteur familial

Simonne, 9 ans, devant la maison
paternelle à Fisher Branch MB

Simonne, 3 ans,
avec son oncle et sa cousine

I attended the town school which meant a two and a half mile walk, morning and night. That was not always pleasant as winters were long and cold and summers offered different kinds of storms. In those days, girls did not wear jeans or ski pants, so that meant dressing up real warm. My mother would spin her own wool to make up into warm, long stockings and mitts. And footwear. well, I remember wearing high-cut, laced-up rubbers, not that warm for Canadian winters. Ski pants came in style around 1942, and a fur-trimmed helmet, that felt rather cozy! Mom always worried about me, and eventually took me out of school at the completion of the seventh grade. In those days, there were no herd laws and people would graze their cattle along the roadways, which assured me a few chases by angry bulls. Farmers all had sturdy fences around their fields, which helped save my skin! Run! Run! Yes, how I would run for my life! Being almost always alone, I can now understand why my parents worried. Knowledge, though, does not stop there. Each new day in a person's life becomes a new learning experience. My mother being a former teacher, taught me at home to read and write in French. For this, I will always be so grateful, as this has helped me throughout my life in so many ways.

I recall when I was about 8 years old, I thought I would do like my brothers and try my luck at catching rabbits, as there were a lot of them, then. I had watched them how they put snares in the paths that the rabbits made, and after tying my snare to a tree, went home until the next day when I returned to check on it. To my surprise, there was a big one caught in it, and what a ravage it had made to free itself, or so I thought. My brothers Paul and Roger had played a trick on me, had tied up an already dead one in it, then watched for my reaction. That was not the only trick they played on me, as I can remember very well when they pretended to give me a ride to the barn on my sled, only to upset me half way there, and they would continue running to the barn, leaving me in the snow bank. This same trick was also played on me when they were skating on the river, offering me a ride then upsetting my sled. They would also take pleasure in teasing mom's grey roosters and that meant, that whenever you ventured outside, you had to make sure that you knew where the rooster was. They would get pretty mean and jump on you, and naturally scratch you with their claws. This particular time, I was running with this particular rooster after me, and I managed to climb in a hay rack, only to find the stupid thing had jumped on it, too. I then had to climb higher on the rein holder. I was safe there, but the rooster was overjoyed, he had me hostage, and was singing with glee! I had to stay there until someone came to the rescue. 

Simonne, Éva et Alma en 1947, Fisher Branch MB

Christmas was always special and when it came time to go to Midnight Mass, there was never an excuse, whether it was with the horses and sleigh, or even one year, when my Mom and the others walked to town, which was at least 2½ miles, and they had bundled me on the sled, which our black dog pulled me on. Mom had put warm rocks, which had been heated in the oven, before leaving home, to keep my feet warm on the sled, and once in town, the dog was lodged at Mr. Joseph Camire and the rocks were put in Mrs. Camire's oven, so they would be ready for the trip back home after Mass. We would always leave fairly early, as there were confessions to go to, and then, we would go to Mr. A.C. Savage's store to wait until midnight for the Mass to start. Also, on the last train that came to Fisher Branch before Christmas, we were sure to receive a large box of clothes and toys from our mémère Bernier from St. Jean-Baptiste. She never forgot, and I guess she knew our parents could not afford any toys. I always loved cats, and being the youngest in the family, those cats were my best friends, and are to this day; as we always have some around, and we spoil them, too. Also before Christmas in those days, we had an uncle, Avila Grégoire, who was single, and would come and spend the rest of the winter at our house. He played the violin and at parties, loved to sing. We loved him very much and enjoyed having him around.

My parents were farmers, and that meant daughters as well as sons, shared the work. Being the youngest in our family, I did not experience the hardships of the depression as much as my elders and parents. I nevertheless had the chance to milk cows, feed the chickens, work in the garden, do house chores with mom, and when I was older, tried my hand at stoking grain and some barn chores. I never worked Simonne/04014-03.jpgoutside the home as my parents needed the help.

During the months of July or sometimes August, we had Catechism classes taught by some nuns that would come out from Winnipeg, or our parish priest. Little did I know, there was a young man a few rows away who had eyes on me. I must of been pretty slow because I never noticed! In July 1945, my brother Paul married a young lady by the name of Délia Meilleur. In June of 1947, my other brother, Roger, married her sister Eva, and in September 1949, my sister Alma married their brother Maurice. The young lad from the Catechism class had now grown up, and I finally noticed that he was interested in me. His name was Auray Fidèle Meilleur, son of Ovila Meilleur and Zéphérina Gauthier. After three years of courtship, we were married on October 6, 1951, in the Immaculate Conception Church, in Fisher Branch, by Rév. Fr. Léo Marchand. Do you get the picture? Of course, all four children of our family had married in the Meilleur family, and all two years apart. In this way, we shared the same mother-in-law!! He was also the tenth generation of' the Meilleur family in Canada. Auray was also the son of a farmer, sang and played guitar, and we were both the youngest of our families. Well, as you can see, we had a lot in common.

Famille de Simonne et d'Auray, lors de leur 50e anniversaire de mariage, octobre 2001

Auray was born on Sunday, July 27, 1930, in Fisher Branch, Manitoba. He was baptized on August 17, 1930, by Rév. Fr. François-Xavier Leroux, and his godparents were, Louis Dandeneau & Fidélise (Benoit) Dandeneau.

  • The Year's Top Story - First British Empire Games held at Hamilton.

  • Famous Firsts - Planet Pluto discovered ... Flashbulbs patented ... 8 Jesuit martyrs canonized, first North American saints ... Cairine Wilson first woman appointed to Senate ... Acrylic plastics invented

  • And the Winner is ...

    • Best Movie - All Quiet On The Western Front

    • Best Actors - George Artiss and Norma Shearer

    • Grey Cup - Balmy Beach 11, Regina 0

    • Stanley Cup - Montreal Canadians over Boston

    • Boxing - Max Schmelling

  • Tunes of the Times - Body and Soul ... Bye Bye Blues ... Embraceable You ... On The Sunny Side of the Street ... Walkin' My Baby Back Home ...

  • Life in Canada - Population: 10,208,000 ... 3 bedroom home-$4,525 ... Avg. Income - $1,135 ... New Ford - $775 ... Gas, 1 litre - 7¢ ... Bread - 21¢ ... Milk, 1 litre - 18¢

  • Fun Facts & More - Blondie and Mickey Mouse began as daily comic strips ... Fashion: hems mod-calf, capes and boleros ... Greta Garbo starred in her first talking film, Anna Christie, and it advertised with slogan "Garbo talks" ...

Auray Meilleur, jeune homme

Auray attended the North Meridian School, approximately 8 miles east of Fisher Branch, and was the one to light up the old stove, early in the morning during the winter months. This being a one-room school, it had to be cozy warm when children arrived as everyone walked to school in those days. He worked on his father's farm until his marriage.

The first three years of our marriage, we lived with my mother, as my dad (Joseph) was admitted at the Sanatorium in St. Vital, Manitoba with tuberculosis (2½ years). Auray helped with the tilling of' his land while he was away. In the summer of 1954, Auray's father died of cancer and so we moved in with his mother for the next three years. In a small town, work was not too plentiful, so Auray was forced to go to Winnipeg to find a job, and in the fall of 1956, we ventured to Winnipeg for the following five years with our budding family of four. Those were trying times for us, as for a while, Auray earned a meaner 80 cents an hour. Rent was $80 a month, and there was electricity, food, etc. to pay. In order to make ends meet, Auray played the steel guitar with different bands a couple nights a week. Take home pay, six or eight dollars a night. Wow! (Jacqueline and Réal started their education at the Précieux Sang School, in St. Boniface, Manitoba).

Finally, he was employed by a sheet metal company and learned how to make duct work and installing oil furnaces, and some plumbing. This allowed us to move back to our home town of Fisher Branch, Manitoba in 1961, and he started his own business called "Meilleur's Plumbing and Heating".

Auray Meilleur à la steel-guitare

By then, our family had grown to eight. My parents had bought a house in town, gave us their house on the farm along the highway, and all of a sudden, we felt rich! We also purchased a sewage truck in 1967, and the "Meilleur Septic Tank Service" was available to clean tanks for miles around. The truck was later sold to a son-in-law, Régis Gauthier, and is still in operation today. Our family grew to thirteen, 6 sons and 7 daughters, no need to explain all the work that involved, there were no "Pampers" then. With 8 children still at home, we took care of Auray's mother for two years, and then we took in my dad for two years. The daughters were also a big help once they got old enough. We prayed, worked and stayed together, and outings were also done as a family. At one time, we had ten attending school at once. We had children in school for 33 consecutive years!

Because of health problems, Auray was forced to quit the plumbing business and started farming in 1973 instead. With farming, one is always at the mercy of the weather, and Auray was no exception. He saw many crops destroyed by drought, floods or even high winds that blew all the swathes out of the fields. We often wondered if the good Lord meant to us to stay poor all our lives! Our sons worked really hard along side their father, and will especially, forever remember, all the stones that were to be picked!

From a young age, I had learned to sew, and sure put it into good use, as I sewed everything for the children and ourselves. Store bought clothes were next to none. When Pauline started Kindergarten, I made her a warm jacket out of all kinds of co-ordinating colors of fleece material. She loved her jacket, and it was handed down to the younger daughters, as well. Her "Coat of Many Colors" as the song goes, is still saved with pride, to this day. I also did a lot of knitting, crocheting and embroidery. Later on my sewing skills had extended to Bridal and baptism gowns, etc. I was the family barber until my sons were in their teens. In 1958, I was chosen as "Mother of the Year", on radio station CJOB in Winnipeg, which was an honour and received valuable prizes.

The boys all played hockey and the girls took figure skating lessons. For a number of years, Auray spent countless hours making (with the help of the boys) and up keeping a large skating rink in our back yard. Simonne/04014-03.jpgThe family spent many hours skating, and practicing their hockey skills, and sometimes a game or two. Auray and I curled and so, no need to say, winters were spent at the arena as a family. In the summer, it was swimming lessons and baseball. Auray was manager of the "Meridian Orioles", a family based fastball team, from 1971 to 1975. We had five sons on the team, with Auray and a son-in-law as pitchers, cousins and nephews. We competed with other local teams and neighbouring towns, and won many games. Auray is a sports fanatic, especially hockey. He's been a Toronto Maple Leaf fan since 1938. He has many and collects old pictures, books and videos of different NHL teams.

We were all musically inclined and we sang our way from church choirs to amateur shows, always accompanied on the guitar by Auray. I am a charter member of the Catholic Women's League (29 years) and have been on the executive most of the time. Auray belongs to the Knight of Columbus since 1977, and we both served on the Parish Council for a number of years. We have also been involved in church and community projects, which means a lot of volunteer work. In June of 1985, the Knights of Columbus chose us for their, "Family of the Year" award. I worked as an employee of Statistics Canada twice, as Census Representative in 1986 and 1991.

In the spring of 1989, Auray suffered a mild heart attack, but with the help of medication he is doing well and is now semi-retired. Our son, Réal, has taken over most of the farm operations. Auray still helps out to the best of his ability. He was also employed by the local branch of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as guard at the detachment jail for two years.

50e anniversaire de mariage d'Auray et Simonne

In 1992, I was hospitalized in Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, for surgery, to remove a giant-celled tumour that was eating away at the bone on my right leg (tibia). A titanium was set in place with ten screws, for support. After 7 months in a wheel chair, and 10 months on crutches, I am back on my feet and doing well. Before surgery, I was diagnosed as having bone cancer, by two different physicians, but after countless prayers and faith in St. Thérèse, the tumour proved to be benign at the time of surgery. The whole community were also praying for me. A miracle? Perhaps!!

In 1979, we could of had half of our family wiped out, when Réal was driving back home after spending the day at the Winnipeg's Red River Exhibition, with a brother and four sisters with him. While turning north on the "Yield" in Inwood, MB, a car (an impaired driver) came speeding from behind and side swiped his vehicle twice, eventually pushing him and overturning his car in the ditch. The other car, with 4 adults and 5 children, landed up on top of them, pinning them all underneath. To this day, we thank God that this happened in a nurse's front yard. She immediately called the Police and ambulance, and hurried out to help them. When the ordeal was all over, by miracle none were severely injured. The police told us that, they had often seen people killed in lesser accidents.

Another accident happened in the spring of 1995, when Roger who was employed by Agricore Elevators in Fisher Branch, had to climb to dislodge grain that was stuck in one of the outside bins. He fell 12 feet to the ground after his ladder slipped on ice, breaking his right arm, crushing the bones in his elbow, and received several bruises. After a few operations and a year of therapy, he was left with a crippled arm and has only a limited amount of movement in his wrist and arm. Since then, he has gone back to work and was transferred to the elevator in Teulon, MB.

In 1976, we celebrated our 25th Anniversary surrounded by friends and relatives. Then in 1991, our children organized a gala celebration for our 40th. On my wedding day, back in 1951, my dad had just bought a new car, a nice blue Pontiac-8, and was quite proud to drive me to church that day. 40 years later, without telling me, my brother Roger had it restored, and took me back to the same church, for our Anniversary Thanksgiving Mass. What a surprise and thrill! As a gift, they gave us an expense paid trip to Nashville (we are both avid Country Music fans), a thrill of a lifetime! The tour also included a two day visit at Elvis Presley's domain in Memphis, Tennessee. Other memorable trips took us to Niagara Falls and the C.N. Tower in 1992, Disneyland, the San Diego Zoo and Seaworld, and the World War II Liner: The Queen Mary at Long Beach, California in 1995.

Simonne et Auray à Ste-Adèle QC, en 1996

As of January, 2002 we have 34 grandchildren and one great grandson. In 1991, we added on to our house to make room for our large family, as they gather at the home farm often, and we enjoy them all. Especially when Christmas rolls around, we can add up to 59. The women each bring a dish or two to help out and the men bring the wine. For a number of years, now, the men do the dishes on Christmas Day and on Boxing Day, the grandsons do likewise, which is well appreciated by the cooks.
 
At the present time, my latest hobby is compiling the "Meilleur Family" genealogy, which is challenging and very interesting. I had learned to master the typewriter for a number of years now, but my latest venture is the computer. In August of 1996, we visited some cousins in Sainte-Adèle, Québec where I was handed out a lot of information to continue my family tree. We were also able to visit the Oratory of St. Joseph on Mount Royal, in Montréal. The founder, Brother André, now declared a saint, was always special to me because his birthday was on August 9th like me. I knew this ever since I was a child and I always held a special place for him in my heart. Since my surgery in 1992, I had not been able to kneel, especially on our unpadded kneelers at church. I think I was blessed again!

We do a lot of reading and playing cards with friends in the winter. Our plans for the future? Probably more traveling! With the children and grandchildren, we are never lonely!

_________________
Written by Simonne Meilleur
Date January, 2002

Vue aérienne de la ferme Meilleur
Fisher Branch, Manitoba

Ferme à Fisher Branch MB


 

Recherche, textes et photos par Simonne Bernier Meilleur, de Fisher Branch MB

Mise à jour le 30 mar 2003 par Estelle Meilleur, de Fisher Branch MB
Mise à jour le 23 septembre 2013
par Simonne Bernier Meilleur, de Fisher Branch MB
Mise à jour le 20 octobre 2021 par Paul Meilleur, de Sainte-Adèle QC
Mise à jour le 27 novembre 2021 par Nicole Meilleur Diotte, de Kiamika QC

Retour à la Généalogie des MEILLEUR
Retour à la Généalogie des BERNIER
 

paul.meilleur@yahoo.com