Obituary of Henriette Marguerite Bilodeau
Henriette Bilodeau
Updated service information:
Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m on Saturday, August 7, at St. Jean Baptiste Roman Catholic Church, Debden SK.
Interment will follow in the Debden cemetery, followed by lunch and fellowship in the church basement.
For those who were unable to attend the Celebration of Life, below is a link the family wishes to share of Henriette’s Memorial Service.
Henriette was born on March 29, 1918, to Amedee and Alphonsine Ruel. She was raised in the Shell River area and later in the Debden area. She was the 6th child of a family of 14.
She met the love of her life Wilfrid (Ti-Frid) Bilodeau and they married September 30, 1936.
Together they cultivated their dream and built their farm in the Jackson Lake district, where they began and raised their family of 15 children. Later they retired in the town of Debden.
Henriette and Wilfrid were a jovial and welcoming couple where their home was the place to gather. They were also of strong faith where their family attended Friday night and Sunday morning masses and did nightly rosary time. Later in life saying the rosary was still a daily ritual of Henriette's. Even while she had her sight on "Eternity" with some of her family gathered by her bedside, some via "Zoom meeting" a final rosary and prayers were said with her. All the while nestled in her tiny hands was her rosary.
Those tiny hands tell a lifetime story;
* Nurturing hands... Gentle and loving touch while holding her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and even great great grandchildren.
* Helping hands... Toiled in fields with her husband picking roots and rocks to threshing, combining, milking cows, feeding chickens and pigs and so much more.
* Working hands... Harvesting a huge garden, preparing meals, kneading daily bread, rolling out pie crusts, to sewing and countless hours of mending and ironing.
* Enjoyment hands ... Playing cards, puzzling, tending flowers, tossing the old bowling ball down the lane to her hobby of quilt making, knitting, and crocheting which many of us will preserve and treasure for ever.
* Writing Hands.... that wrote in a daily journal which now we can reflect on past events, her joys, and her sorrows.
* Volunteering hands ... Countless hours for her community which she was so proud of.
All in all, those tiny hands blessed us and so did their gracious and unassuming spirit in which they served.
Left to cherish her legacy is her family
Gilles (Ida) Bilodeau, Claude (Pauline) Bilodeau, Celine (Paulin) Tremblay, Monique (Marcel) Lamontagne, Luc (Claudette) Bilodeau, Roseline (Benoit) Duret, Urgel (Diane) Bilodeau, Aurelie (Jacques) Duret, Ginette (Laurent) Prefontaine, Paul (Lorraine) Bilodeau, Guy (Linda) Bilodeau, Leane (Rick) Nordhagen, and daughter/law Madeleine Bilodeau. 41 grandchildren, 97 great grandchildren, 9 great great grandchildren. Brother Laurent Ruel, sisters Denise Lajeunesse, and Rebecca Paquette; as well as numerous nieces and nephews and her loving family at the Debden Heritage Manor.
She was preceded by her husband Wilfrid, children Bibiane, Leonard, Pierre, and daughter/law Anita Bilodeau; as well as a grandson, Martin Bilodeau.
Due to Covid restrictions, there will be a private family viewing on May 22, 2021.
Celebration life will be held at a later date this fall.
Rest in Peace.
You can shed tears that she is gone, or you can smile because she has lived. You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back, or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left. Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her, or you can be full of the love you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember her and only that she is gone, or you can cherish her memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back or you can do what she’d want: smile, open your eyes, love, and go on. Rest in Peace.
In lieu of tributes, memorial donations may be made in memory of Henriette to the Debden Heritage Manor (Box 608 Debden, SK S0J 0S0). Family and friends wishing to send online condolences are welcome to visit www.beaulacfuneralhome.com Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Beau “Lac” Funeral Home, Tammy Smart – Director, Shellbrook, SK. 306-747-2828.
