It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Therese Bossaer on July 6, 2024 at the age of 91 years.  She died peacefully at the Battleford’s Union Hospital.

In memory of Therese, a Vigil Prayer Service will be held on Sunday, July 14, 2024 at 7:00 pm with a Funeral Mass to be held on Monday, July 15,2024 at 11:00 am with lunch to follow at the Western Development Museum.

Both services will be held at Notre Dame de Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, North Battleford Saskatchewan.

Therese was an incredible woman, wife, mother, grandmother, great -grandmother, Aunt, sister, friend, neighbour and co-congregant.  She will be missed by many.

We hope you can share in her Celebration of Life with us.

Memorial donations may be made in Therese’s name directly to: The BUH Foundation “Mental Health Approved Home Program” or the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium – Trevor Watts Funeral Director.

 

Eulogy for Therese Bossaer

Good morning everyone – we appreciate your presence to honor our mother, your grandmother, sister, auntie and friend. 

My name is Keith Bossaer – sibling #8 and Cherie Illingworth – sibling #10!

Mom requested a short eulogy – sorry Mom – NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

As everyone here knows – Therese loved life – and every person, place and thing in it.  No judgement – just love and concern for the best of everyone.

Therese was born Feb 1,1933 to Walter and Alphonsine Corbeil – the oldest of 13 children. 

Her life started with candles, kerosene lamps, wood stoves, horse and buggies, outhouses and no running water but she certainly changed with the times and was a Granny needing her cell phone, internet and available wifi to keep up on her social things.  During her lifetime she lived through the Depression, Second World War, Men Landing on the Moon, Industrialization of farming, Computer and Internet technology and let’s not forget the Covid Pandemic!!  As a side note – Mom never got Covid!

Grandma Corbeil insisted that her first baby Therese be born at the hospital.  It was a stormy winter day and a dangerous commute from Delmas to North Battleford.  The horse team pulled the sleigh on the North Saskatchewan river a good portion of the way for better visibility.   You would not try that these days with warmer winters on a river.    Throughout her childhood Mom’s family was forced to move multiple times due to difficult times.  As a baby she lived on a farm near Delmas then on to Aunt Aurilie’s farm (Mc Caffrey), then a farm near Vyner school where the oldest 3 all started school together.  Next it was to Great Grandpa Valliere’s farm followed by another near Vawn. Despite being poor they all felt they had a rich childhood with fun memories.

Mom stopped school after Grade 6 to help her mom on the farm and with the other children.

Mom worked as a Nurse’s Aide at Battleford’s Union Hospital for 4 years.  She roomed at Mansell’s across the street.  Her 2 best friends; sisters Leah Dion (Boser) and Louise Dion (Chillabeck) had a lot of fun together.  Mom gave a good portion of her salary to her parents to help the rest of the family. Her siblings remember how much the family depended on Mom’s earnings. In the years that she worked at the hospital Mom treated herself to one chocolate bar!! 

Mom sold Regal cards to buy her first Brownie Box Camera.  With her camera she was able to take some of the first pictures of her siblings.  This led to her love & passion for photography – she took many, many still pictures and enthusiastically embraced Super 8 Movie films! 

Mom met Dad at a dance in Meota.  At the end of the night, they asked each other if they usually go there to dance.  Mom said she usually went to the Co-op Dance Hall at 102nd St & 11th ave whereas Dad went to Uncle Tom’s cabin dancehall near the North McDonald’s and sometimes the Armory.  The next weekend they went to each other’s favorite place.  Needless to say, they did connect and were married on September 18, 1955.

As a young married farmer’s wife, she worked long days and many equally long nights.  Along with starting a family she gardened, milked cows, raised chickens, sold eggs and milk, baked homemade bread and drove the truck when needed.  When Mom was pregnant with Barry (sibling #6) the farmhouse burnt to the ground.  The Community rallied and helped them to get restarted. Two years later their barn burnt, killing their prize hog & piglets that they were depending on (Maybe that was why they needed an insurance guy in the family).  After the fire they bought a house in town at 1462 105th Street and over the years the remaining 6 children were born.  In 1975 the family moved back onto the farm – to the joy of all of us!

But, enough of the history basics – Mom had so many special qualities – we will try to address all of them!

Family Love – nothing is more important or fun for Mom than to host or attend a family gathering.  This always included anyone who was around, needed a warm meal, a bed to sleep in or maybe some guidance and work discipline!  She welcomed everyone with such open arms, totally nonjudgemental, forgiving, trusting, and always seeing the best in everyone.  If someone was struggling, she would look beyond the struggle and see what the cause was and hope to help.  Family love did not stop with immediate family – distant cousins, neighbors, passersby – we often had other people living with us or sharing a meal with us.  Her arms were always open and no matter how many mouths came to the table – she would come up with something!  Even in her last years, anytime there was a get-together she would ask “Can I bring buns or something?” as she couldn’t cook anymore.  If we said no, Hawkins Cheezies and other snacks would still show up. As her children grew up they sometimes had parties at the Teepees (wood pole structures built by us kids, cousins and friends) – Mom, would say “yes, as long as I can bring food and it is left clean”.  Mom would come literally with a full garbage bag of popcorn!

Mom had to be inventive to dress all the kids, especially when it came to shoes.  So, she traced our footprints on a brown-paper bag and wrote our name on it so she could size properly.  Many, many things were passed down – multiple names written on school supplies and rubber boots with older sibling’s name crossed out. 

Mom was always worried about us losing things or being stolen so she would write our last name and phone number across all our stuff in permanent black ink – even the beach towels – right Dean?? 

Special Events Beyond Christmas and Easter even Territorial Days, the Rodeo, Fair Parade, Canada Day, Halloween were all incredibly fun to Mom.  This was an opportunity for Mom to create memories and make many amazing costumes, both for herself and anyone who needed it.  During Rodeo Days she would dress up little cowboys and cowgirls.  Everyone knows how special Canada Day was to her – in fact in her last days she was thankful that she didn’t pass away on Canada Day – so that it wouldn’t mar this day in the future! 

Creativity Some of you will remember her skill at decorating cakes.  She would create 3-tiered wedding cakes with roses, piping and small wine glasses to support an upper tier and made many amazing birthday cakes.

Mom designed and created Easter Baskets out of plastic bleach and soap bottles, she created many Halloween costumes, school projects and Christmas decorations.  

Animal Love Is there an animal Mom did not love?? 

Well, maybe skunks after being sprayed … 

Buddy the pigmy goat,

Petunia the Duck (which ended up being “Pete”!), [Pete liked to be dried off with a blow dryer – he felt he was a big deal],

her milk cows Blue and Grace,

Bimbo the Charlais Bull or as I called him “Charlie – it was easier to pronounce than Charlais,

JR the wild rabbit that we all tamed so much he spent lots of time in the living room, one Easter we found a basket of bunnies behind the big chair,

Smokey & Snow White who had her babies in the boys’ dresser,

Guinea hens that squawked when strangers came over,

Cinnamon and Ginger, the horses,

A pig named George and the occasional Garden Snake we caught

Dogs: Lady – a stray dachshund mix and great mouser that showed up at the farm, Starsky a husky, Buffy a cocker-spaniel, King a German Shepherd, Boomer, Dana the Doberman and Morty dads favorite long term husky  

We often had newborn calves warming up in our kitchen and one calf that was pail fed and slept under the front steps and followed us around

 

Community Volunteer Mom fully believed that the way to show her faith was to help anyone in need.   Mom spent countless hours volunteering with the Villa Pascal, Catholic Women’s League, Approved Home Program, Willow Heights Help Along Club, and Church fundraisers. She generously volun”told “ her children to many events – teaching her children valuable life lessons!! Many Christmas parties happened with Mom’s organizing, decorating and influence – with her kids being the entertainment for Nativity Characters, Santa, Elves, Snow White, 7 Dwarfs or any other creative idea she had!

Approved Home  Mom was a pioneer at Community Living.  She was an Approved Home Operator for over 30 years and was well respected in the community. When we lived in town, we had 3 ladies living amongst us – we had friends ask us “why do you have so many Mom’s?”  Mom gave them all care, support and a purpose – whether it be Hannah rocking the babies, Marie washing the floor & dishes and peeling potatoes or Tilly ironing.  Mom knew instinctively how to help them and would advise the nurse on their care.

Devoted Catholic Mom’s enduring faith is what she says pulled her through all the tough times in her life.  Her Church and Wednesday Prayer Group were immensely important to her.  She feels the world troubles now are because we have moved away from faith.  She enjoyed EWTN on TV for her daily Rosary and as her health declined her fellow congregants and /or Condo residents brought her communion.  Even in failing health she followed her faith.

As a young family Mom would ensure we were all appropriately dressed for Church: we would all have a bath Saturday night, Mom would curl all the girls hair, we would polish all the shoes and present to Sunday Mass completely decked out!

Gardener.   Anyone who knows Mom – knows how much she loved her flowers!  Gladiola, peonies, sweet peas and orchids were her favorite!  Mom could grow orchids like no one!  Any time of year her windowsill would be blooming with orchids, Christmas Cactus, and many other plants.  She always had a HUGE garden, but a good portion would be devoted to her flowers!  Her request for this day was that all the girls wear bright summer colors to look like a big bouquet – with baby Celeste the bud! 

Nurturer  Mom could quickly discern if a child was hungry, tired or scared.  She would quietly give them what they needed – sometimes it was just space to feel comfortable.  She LOVED to read stories with a child or 2 on her lap with several spilling on to the floor. 

Mom was a caregiver to so many others as well – young and old!

Even in her last few days she would perk up when any child came for a visit.

Lucky Charm Mom seemed to have luck on her side.  Many times she would put her name in a draw and low and behold – she would win.  Dad got to the point where he would say – put the ticket in your name so we will win.

Trips.  For some time, our parents did a BC trip almost yearly – especially to the Hot Springs in Banff.  They would leave the day after harvest finished.  They had many road trips with Rose-Marie and Ernest or Alice and Roman – she would bring home little souvenirs for us.  She went on numerous Duck Lake Pilgrimages with Claire and Joe – and many kids in tow!  Mom and Dad loved their truck camper, and a favorite trip was to the East Coast with Brian, Veronica and family.  For their 40th Anniversary the children sent them on a trip of a lifetime to Belgium.  Apparently, they muddled their way through the trip with help from strangers and Dad’s many Belgian relatives.   Dad lost his wallet and money, and a kind stranger turned it in to the police cash intact with a note saying “This happened to me once and it wrecked my trip – I hope you enjoy yours”.  

Sunday afternoon back road drives and family trips aimed at getting lost was a favorite activity as Dad finally relaxed.   

Sister Holidays  Every couple of years for the past 20 years all of the sisters and Mom would go on a trip together.  It started with Moose Jaw, then Watrous, Ottawa, a hotel in North Battleford and even Lake Havasu, Arizona.   Many laughs and giggles were shared.  What happens on a sister holiday – stayed on a sister holiday …

Mom had a full-time job her entire life!  Between the oldest of 13, having 12 children of her own, farming, Approved Home, her faith, the multitude of friends, and in her later years – keeping track of the busy, growing family through her Facebook account!  She never stopped trying to engage in life.

Mom our hearts are breaking with your loss.  We know you have gone to your eternal home and are watching over us even now.  We feel there is a huge void in our lives already.  You will forever be in our hearts and present at each and every get-together, wedding, baptism, family meal, coffee visit, road trip, Halloween party, Canada Day Celebration, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving … the list goes on.

Mom, I know you had many family members patiently waiting for you including Dad and Dailene. This is not Good-Bye, just see you in our next life! 

• Date : 2024-07-09
• Location : North Battleford, SK