Obituary of Claire Bouvier

It is with heavy hearts that we must announce that we said goodbye to our Mémère and Ma/Maman/Mom, Claire Bouvier, of Assiniboia, SK. She passed away unexpectedly and peacefully at the age of 93 on December 30, 2023 at the Dr. F. H. Wigmore Regional Hospital in Moose Jaw, SK.

Claire Germaine Bouvier was born on November 8, 1930 on the farm near Gravelbourg, SK. She was the eldest of 7 children born to Willie and Rosanna (née Lussier) Marchand. Although she was born in Gravelbourg, the family had moved back to Manitoba where she lived in St. George until grade 7. She then stayed home and assumed great responsibilities helping care for her mother and siblings. She nannied for a year then waitressed for 2 years in Winnipeg until the family moved back to the Gravelbourg area. She waitressed in a restaurant for a while before also taking on cooking duties. Then she met Léopold Bouvier and married in 1955. The couple set down their roots and created a farm and a home near Lisieux, SK where they raised their nine children. There, also raising cattle and pigs and chickens, Claire was a very hard worker and gave much of herself to support her large family by helping in the fields, selling cow milk and cream and chickens and eggs, and sowing and harvesting a very large garden. So many memories…

In 1982, they retired from the farm and moved to Assiniboia. There, Claire continued to do what she did best. She created a licensed daycare and for years shared her loving caregiving with several families whose children also called her mémère. She also took on the custodian work at the medical/dental clinic which she continued for many years.   

Claire’s greatest passion of all was her family. She said her most significant accomplishment was raising 9 children and that if she could live her life over again she would do nothing different. She was an amazing cook and will especially be remembered for the porcupine meatballs and tourtières. Claire’s love of reading was definitely passed down to all her children. She enjoyed sewing and she continued knitting until recently. She always had a love of plants and flowers but really only had the time to embellish on the flowers once they moved to town, as her house and yard will attest to. Her favorite thing was anything that could hold dirt to make a flower pot.

Pre-deceased by her husband, Leopold in 2001, her daughter, Pauline in 2012, and sister, Hélène, Claire leaves to cherish her memory her loving family; children: Adeline (Mike) Rozak, Raymond, Bernadette (Marlow) Henrikson, Michel (Marianne), Marianne (Calvin, dec.) Ruthven, Jacqueline (Brett) Foster, Rose-Marie (Dale Muhr), Edna (Dave, dec.) Williamson; grandchildren: April (Russ), Trevor, Avery (Randy), Alexandra (Devin), Christopher, Roger, Korey (Tella), Rachel, Brandon, Clay, Zoé, Joel, DJ, and Sam; 6 great-grandchildren & 3 great-great-grandchildren; sisters Thérèse Mack, Jeannette Scott, and Alice Wild, and brothers Gérard and Robert; and many sisters and brothers-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews and their families.

Claire was a generous person and even on a limited income still donated to the Cancer Society and MS Canada. If you wish, in lieu of flowers, please honor Claire’s memory by donating to MS Canada.

Visitations will be held Friday, January 5, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at Piche-Hawkins-Grondin Funeral Chapels in Assiniboia, SK.

Funeral mass will be held Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at St George’s Roman Catholic Church in Assiniboia, SK with Fr. George Thattuparampil as celebrant.