CATHERINE ALICE BRUYERE

It is with deep sorrow and loss the family of Catherine Alice Bruyere, 59, must announce her sudden but quiet passing in her home on the morning of July 5, 1999.
Born Catherine Perreault on Jan. 18, 1940 at Couchiching First Nation, Ont., she lived all her life in the Fort Frances area.
Enduring her education at the local Catholic Residential School, Catherine found her lifelong love and destiny, Marvin Bruyere. Through mutual friends, Elaine and Irvin (Sonboy) Bruyere, they courted and found love in the 1950s. They were married Dec. 29, 1960 and together gave all to raising five children and one foster child.
As a teen, Catherine cooked for many area tourist camps, and later dispatched for Biddy’s Taxi. In April, 1978, she began her career as the Couchiching welfare administrator and O.N.W.A. council member until her retirement in 1997.
During her working years, she also attained her Social Work degree, graduating at the top of her class in 1992.
As well as being a wife, mother, grandmother, and dear friend, she also was an angel of mercy to many by opening her doors for years as a temporary Children’s Aid foster home.
Those who knew Catherine will remember her for her greatest passions: her family, her grandchildren, knitting, sewing, collecting owls and souvenir spoons, and, of course, Bingo. Christmas was always her favourite time of year, and she enjoyed opening her home to her numerous extended family.
She will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by her beloved husband, Marvin; daughters, Joanne Bruyere, and Lori and husband, Ken Rousseau; sons, Colin Bruyere, Gregg Bruyere and best friend, Nancy Hanna, all of Fort Frances, Ont., and Arden Bruyere and fiance, Tina Reed, of Thunder Bay, Ont.; and her precious grandchildren, Catherine Marie Bruyere, David Andrew Rousseau, and Laura Rose Bruyere.
Also surviving are her brothers, Carl (Jake) Perreault and wife, Jane, of St. Helen’s, Ore., and James Perreault and wife, Janet, of Couchiching; sisters, Myrtle Bruyere and husband, Arnold (Geo. Jr.), of Ottawa, and Brenda Monastyrski and husband, Don, of Thunder Bay; in-laws, George Havluck Sr. of International Falls, Mn., Larry and Eilene Bruyere, Shirley and Charles Soline, and Frank Bruyere, all of Fort Erie, Ont., Lyle and Joan Bruyere of Oakland, Ark., Sterling and Lynn Bruyere of Rochester, Mn., Douglas and Beverly Bruyere, of Sioux Lookout, Ont., Sidney Bruyere and Wendy Bodick, Rudy and Shirley Bruyere, Lila Bruyere, Maggie Bruyere, and Karen Chaboyer, all of Fort Frances; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles, and aunts.
Catherine was predeceased by her parents, Amos and Laura Perreault; father and mother-in-law, George and Bella Bruyere; sister, Elsie Havluck; one son at birth, Andrew Marvin Bruyere; and foster daughter, Nancy Armstrong.
For all who wish to say farewell, visitation will be at Green Funeral Home in Fort Frances on Thursday, July 8 from 7:30-9 p.m. Funeral services will be Friday, July 9 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Church at Couchiching.
Lunch will follow mass at the Fort Frances Bingo Hall (801 Scott St.) in Fort Frances. All are welcome.
Pallbearers will be her beloved self-adopted sons, Vince Morin, Kevin Calder, Brian Harris, Tim Grinsell, Ernie Brunetta Jr., Terry Duffy, Deder Kielczewski, and James Niro.
Honourary pallbearers are best friends, Marie McPherson, Shirley (Swede) Bruyere, Dolly McPherson, Geraldine Archie, Jean Bombay, as well as Cathy Morris, Marlene Deschamps, Joanne Ballard, Carla Harris, Victor Armit, and Jamie Monastyrski.
In memoriam donations can be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association, or left at Green Funeral Home on their behalf.
We thought of you with love today
but that is nothing new
We thought about you yesterday
and days before that too
We think of you in silence
We often speak your name
Now all we have are memories
and your picture in a frame
Your memory is our keepsake
With which we’ll never part
God has you in His keeping
But we have you in our hearts
All who loved and remember Catherine please light a candle and say a prayer for her.