Gertrude Clarice Tellier was born August 27, 1929, the fourth child of the fifteen born on the family farm, to Robert and Marie (née Nobert) Tellier. Typical of the time, Gertrude attended school near Morinville, Alberta, and then, after completing Grade 10, stayed home to help her parents with the household and her younger siblings. She also spent time at an aunt’s home helping in their household and with her young cousins as well as at their store.

Gertrude was president of the Morinville, AB, Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). That is how she met her future husband, Lionel, who, while volunteering with the CYO, regularly went to Morinville to help with the program. They were married August 11^th, 1952. Lionel worked in banking until the couple returned to St. Louis, Saskatchewan, to help his father sell the farm and open a grocery store and bulk fuel business. Gertrude and Lionel had seven children during this time, Louise, Paul, Lucie, Maurice, Denise, Cecile and Jocelyne. It was a busy household, but Gertrude found time to volunteer with many community groups including the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) and the 4H Club. The family relocated to St. Brieux in the summer of 1968 when Lionel accepted a position as principal of the school there. Life continued for Gertrude as a homemaker. She was an excellent cook and baker!  She always made her own bread and buns which, to feed a family of nine, was quite an undertaking. Her kids loved nothing better than to come home from school to a fresh pan of cinnamon buns or freshly baked cake or cookies.  When she wasn’t cooking, cleaning, gardening, or doing laundry, Gertrude could be found at her sewing desk, sewing a lot of her kid’s clothes.  As her family got older, she successfully ran a few home-based businesses, selling Amway and then also selling Avon. Sewing and crocheting were a couple of her passions and even after all the kids had moved on with their lives, she continued making quilts and afghans for all her kids and grandchildren and was always happy to hem pants or change zippers for anyone who needed repairs. They were all so fortunate to have their very own personal seamstress.

Her social life outside of the home included involvement in several volunteer organizations, changing throughout her life – 4H, Catering Club, St. Brieux Parish Altar Society, Church Choir, Comité Culturel, Seniors’ Club, Seniors’ Quilting Club, and others. After Lionel’s retirement in 1982, the couple worked on many projects together, which included building a cabin at the lake for the family to enjoy with many picnics and wiener roasts. When her husband’s eyesight began to deteriorate, Gertrude became his eyes, his driver and his constant companion to assist with the activities of daily living.

Music was an important part of the Boyer family life. Lionel and Gertrude always encouraged and supported participation in music related activities, including the Church Choir. Both logged countless miles driving the children to lessons, festivals, practices, concerts, etc. Holiday times always included sing-songs and dancing. Before their move into the Chateau, Gertrude and Lionel loved to move the furniture to the side and spend Saturday evenings dancing to old-time music on the radio. They also loved to visit with special friends and spend afternoons or evenings playing cards.

Gertrude was pre-deceased by her loving husband of over sixty-five years, Lionel, three siblings in infancy, her brother Lucien and his wife Lorraine, her sister-in-law Valentine Boyer, her brother-in-law Gerald Boyer, and her sister-in-law Claudette Boyer and numerous family members and friends. She will be lovingly remembered by her children, Louise Bourgault, Paul (Pauline) Boyer, Lucie (Edouard) Coquet, Maurice (Pauline) Boyer, Denise (Bruce) Bortis, Cecile (Guy) Thomas, and Jocelyne (Dale) Bortis; her twenty-three grandchildren, Joanne Bourgault (Warren Crozon), Michelle Bourgault-Fagnou (André Fagnou), Daniel Bourgault (Vanessa), Gabriel Boyer (Michelle), Alain Boyer (Melissa), Stephanie Grabowski (Todd), Yvonne Sissons (Rob), Colette Coquet (Trevor Jennings), Joel Boyer (Alyssa), Kristen Torwalt (Greg), Adrien Bourgault, Lise Olson (Ryan), Arynne Miller (Gerry), Kendra Gray (Jeff), Justin Bortis (Meagan), Raymond Thomas, Brian Thomas (Emily), Jeremy Thomas, Giselle Thomas, Matthew Bortis (Janelle), Renée Michel (Trevor), Carmen Creurer (Jeremy), Dana Carfantan (Brandon); thirty-six great-grandchildren, Alexander & Mattea Crozon, Xavier & Maxime Fagnou, Logan & Austin Bourgault, Brea & Rosalee Boyer, Hannah & Hailey Grabowski, Nya, Foster & Archer Sissons, Damon & Harley Jennings, Chanel (Bourgault) Benson, Emmerly & Liam Olson, Garrett & Reese Miller, Taylor, Connor & Merryn Gray, Quinn & Thea Bortis, Kaila & Aria Bortis, Emma, Avery, Addison & Lucas Michel, Jessa, Griffin & Levi Creurer, and Nova Carfantan; five Tellier brothers, Marcel, Roger (Florence), Paul (Carmen), Leon (Doris) and George (Diane), five Tellier sisters, Clara, Rachel, Denise Butler (Clayton), Rolande Wiart (Guy) and Mariette Bergstrom (Harley), two Boyer brothers-in-law Ovide (Pauline) and Nelson, and sister-in-law Lorraine Boyer, as well as many nieces, nephews and extended family and friends.

A service celebrating Gertrude’s life will be held at a later date.

Friends so wishing may make memorial contributions to the Chateau Providence Auxiliary, St. Brieux, SK.

To leave condolences for the Family, please visit the online guestbook at www.fedusiakfuneralchapel.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Fedusiak Funeral Chapel & Crematorium, Melfort. (306) 752-3838

• Date : May 9, 2020
• Location : St. Brieux, SK