Obituary
Boissonneault, Evelyn Mae (nee Touet)
May 10, 1927 – October 19, 2020
Our wonderful Mom went to be with God peacefully on October 19, 2020 after a life well lived. She was born in the old hospital at Wakaw, Saskatchewan, the second of nine children of Earl and Ruth Touet, who homesteaded in the Copeau area northeast of Porcupine Plain. Evelyn left home after grade 8 to work as a hired girl and nanny for a family at Domremy. Later she worked at the Sanitorium and at Victoria Hospital, both in Prince Albert. She then moved on to Winnipeg where she worked as a nurse’s aide at a hospital for veterans of WWII before moving to Vancouver where her special daughter Lynn was born in 1948.
Returning to Saskatoon for the wedding of her brother Clifford, she got a job at The Nut House on 2nd Avenue where she met Fernand Boissonneault, a good friend of her brother. Fernand has just come back from England after serving in the RAF and the RCAF during the war. He now had a job as an engineer for the CNR. Mom & Dad married in 1949 at St. Joseph’s Church and then moved into their new home at 2020 Herman Avenue where they lived together for more than 30 years, raising six children, before Fern passed away in 1980.
In addition to her special daughter Lynn (Bob) Webster of Kamloops she is survived by Marcia (Norm) Holton of Calgary, Jim (Marilyn) of Morrisburg, Ontario, Janice (Jim) Cook of Mission, Dale of Ft. St. John, Jerry of Saskatoon and Jeff (Rebecca) of Calgary.
Evelyn moved into her house on Broadway in 1981 where she was within easy walking distance of St. Francis Xavier Church. She and Fern had been active members of that parish since it’s founding. A widow at 54, with her youngest son a teenager at home, she volunteered at the Friendship Inn, continued activity in CWL and assisted with three refugee families. She loved gardening, baking and sewing and was an avid card player. She even bowled and learned to swim.
Mom loved to spend time with her family members and numerous friends. She enjoyed travel, visiting Wisconsin numerous times to visit cousins, traveling with Dad to Trinidad to visit Marcie and Norm. A visit to England with Fern and Jeff. A trip with all three of her daughters to the Maritimes and the West Coast. An epic trip to Australia to visit friends she had met on a bus tour in Europe with daughter-in-law Marilyn’s mother.
She loved her home and it was always a place where everyone was welcome for a visit, a meal or a stay. She managed in her home on Broadway until she was in her late 70’s and then lived in a couple of apartments near to Market Mall before she moved on to Preston Park II Retirement Residence and eventually to St. Angela Merici Care Home.
She was our role model and taught her family to be responsible, hard-working and kind. She cared for her many friends and tried to keep in touch as long as she could. She loved spending time with her 21 grandchildren and enjoyed hearing of the progress of her 21 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.
Recently, at the age of 93 years we lost our wonderful Mom after a gradual decline over the past year and a recent illness. Although Covid did not take our Mom, the stresses of the precautions certainly affected her enjoyment of life during the past 8 months.
Mom would say that she just had an ordinary life. Our family each have a beautifully written book of her stories in her own words and with photos of her history. Thank you Mom for working with Janice on this and to your granddaughter Kim for preparing such a wonderful keepsake for us all. She enjoyed showing it and was very proud of it. We were so lucky to have you for so long Mom and we will treasure the book of your not so ordinary life.
She was predeceased by her parents Ruth and Earl, by her infant sister Phyllis (1940) and by six of her siblings (and four inlaws): Clifford and Evelyn Touet, Gordon and Lil Touet, Lila and Joe Gibson, Kenneth Touet, Donny Cobrough and Alvin Touet. In addition to her seven children and their families she is survived by her dear sister Clara Cobrough (Mission), her brother Russell (Margaret) of Edmonton and by Kenneth’s wife Evelyn and Alvin’s wife Elizabeth.
The family thanks the staff at St. Angela Merici Care Home and both St. Paul’s and City Hospital for their care of our mother over the past few months.
A small Covid-restricted private family funeral will be followed by interment with Fernand at Woodlawn Cemetery in Saskatoon on October 24, 2020.
Arrangements in care of Aimé Laventure – Mourning Glory Funeral Services (306) 978-5200.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Evelyn Boissonneault, please visit our floral store.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Evelyn Boissonneault October 19 2020..
Mourning Glory Funeral Services
Décès pour la Ville: Saskatoon, Province: Saskatchewan