- X -
Jeanne PÉPIN	Albert MEILLEUR
naissance 19 oct 1918 à Sandbridge MB, décès 24 jun 2008 de Fisher Branch MB, funérailles 2 jul à Immaculate Conception Church, Fisher Branch MB with rev. Michael Raj Savarimuthu officiating, âge : 89 ans "peacefully with her family at her side", sépulture au cimetière paroissial de Fisher Branch MB (nécrologie). Père :  Peter PÉPIN Mère : Angéline LAMIE	naissance 9 mar 1914 à Fisher Branch MB, p/m Louis & Mélina Meilleur, décès 25 oct 1983 à Fisher Branch MB, âge : 69 ans "heart attack", sépulture au cimetière Immaculée-Conception, Fisher Branch MB,   Père :  Ovila (Ovide) MEILLEUR Mère : Zéphérina GAUTHIER

The Albert and Jeanne Meilleur story

Reminiscing about the past of Fisher Branch, one must go back to the basic family unions that have all contributed to making Fisher Branch what it is today.

My name is Jeanne Meilleur (Pepin), wife of Albert Meilleur, and this is our story.

Albert, son of Ovide Meilleur and Zepherina Meilleur (Gauthier) was born in Fisher Branch in the year 1914. He had five brothers, Ernest, Emery, Maurice, Alcide and Auray; also five sisters, Celina, Lea, Delia, Eva and Amanda.

I (Jeanne) was born in Inwood, Manitoba, in the year 1918. My parents were Peter Pepin and Angeline Pepin (Lamie). I had four brothers: Omer, Aime, Louis, and Edward, also six sisters: Emma, Mary, Delia, Evelyn, Florence, and Alice.

I received my education at Rondeau school which was situated two and a half miles north of our place. I have many fond memories of those happy years, both at home and at school.

In 1934, I came to Fisher Branch to help my sister who was married to Moise Meilleur. They lived on a farm and had seven children at the time, and she was also looking after her mother-in-law, so help was appreciated. That's where I met my sister's nephew, Albert Meilleur.

Albert and I were married in 1936. We bought a quarter section of land, six miles east, and two and one half miles north, of the town of Fisher Branch. We bought a few head of cattle, so with clearing land, making hay, and looking after the cattle, Albert was kept very busy. His dad and brother helped us out a lot, which we were grateful for. I helped milk the cows and feed the calves and the pigs, besides looking after the children. I always had a big garden and did a lot of canning and preserving. I sewed all the children's clothes and most of my own.

In 1955, we sold all our cattle as there was too much field work to do. Albert went to work in the gold mines at Mackenzie Island in the winter of '55 and '56. In the spring, he came home in time to clean grain and get everything ready for seeding. By then we had one hundred and ninety acres of land to seed and he was alone to do it all. In 1961, he bought a back-hoe and front-end loader and did custom work. He made more money with the back-hoe than with the farm, so after seeding was done, he hired a man to do the summer fallow until our son was old enough to work with the tractor. Farming was hard work and always a gamble, as most farmers know, but there was always time to visit with the neighbours and have a game of cards, and attend most social gatherings. Those were the good old days. In 1973, we sold our farm to the Hutterite Colony and bought a lot in town, where we live to this day. We have many memorable memories of the years we spent on the farm with our children. They were very happy years, but in spite of that, I am happy to be living in town. After we moved to town, Albert worked with his back-hoe in the summertime and in winter he worked in the butcher shop at the local Solo Store. As for me, I took every job I could get (which were mostly part time) so I had my own spending money, which helped.

Albert has lived in Fisher Branch all his life. We really like it here. We're close to our children; they come to visit us often which we are grateful for. We're both retired now, but are kept busy looking after the yard and garden in the summer time, and in winter, we curl, so spend a lot of time at the curling rink. So you see, we are enjoying our life to its fullest. There are ups and downs in everyone's life, but my "Motto" is, "Chin up, keep smiling, life is worth living."

Rubrique nécrologique