Obituary of Joseph Rediron

Joe was born beside the river among the trees in 1930; He was the second son to Angela and Charlie Rediron. July 8, 1930.Angela was the daughter of Josette Apitchek and Bruno Apitchek of Stoney Lake and Area. Charlie was from Canoe Lake First Nation. Charlie did not claim treaty instead raised his family around Stoney Lake areas. Charlie died in 1942 when Joe was 12 years old. Joe had an older brother Felix Rediron who had one son. Older sister Rosie Nelson had 4 girls and one boy. Youngest sister Louise had 3 girls and one son. Charlie the youngest brother was never married and didn't have any children. Madeline had 7 children, 2 have since passed away. Joe spent his life working in many areas, he trapped and hunted all his life and often spent many months on his trap line at Stoney Lake. Joe made his own frames for stretching the hides by carving the wood. Joe was an expert at skinning and often had a knife in his pocket, some bullets and matches. Joe travelled the Entire area from Green Lake to the National Park up to Caribou Creek. Joe knew the forest and never got lost. Joe had a great respect for the traditional way of life and maintained that lifestyle all his days. Joe was an excellent story teller, who would load up the stove and all the boys would lay on the floor as he would spin a few tales about his hunting and trapping and all the mystical things that happened in the forest. Oldman would also tell a few stories of his own each story would be told as if it was told for the first time. Joe was also an excellent cook and was the first to invent smoked neckbones, he would cook up a meal for one or fifty in no time at all. He was also the best bannock maker and mixed it with sweet muskeg tea. Then he would clean the pots and pans and sit by the fire and tell stories. In the fall of 2001, Joe killed a moose with his brother in law David and they bought the meat home stopped to make a fire, boil a cup of tea and they didn't stop moving until the meat was completely prepared, dried and put away. That he said was a good day. Joe never stopped moving, cleaning, cooking or doing something. He was a hard worker. He had many jobs and did them well. Joe spent many years in the sanatorium with his sister Louise and Charlie; they were hospitalized for TB and often talked about those hardships. The happiest years of Joe's life were when he was with his children he had a special name for each of his kids. He always gave thanks every day to the creator for his children. Joe was greatly affected when he lost his best friend and constant hunting companion David Lachance in 2002. Joe often went walking in the woods for many months after David's passing.Joe had another tragedy when he lost his child Bertha to illness and he spent six months in the hospital from morning to night sitting at her bedside. Bertha passed away the day after Mothers Day. Joe walked in thru some of the worst things in life but he never lost respect for the land and for the power of prayer. On Monday February 28th he made the sign of the cross and held his hands high up in the air and prayed. He said that is the only way.