|
Jean-Noel Audy, 1929-2009
|
On September 9, 2009, Jean-Noël (John) Audy, resident of the Nampa area for the past 60 years, passed away at the Peace River Hospital at the age of 79.
Jean-Noël was born in Ste. Thècle, Quebec on December 24, 1929, the first son and second of 14 children of Freddy Audy and Alice Trottier. At the age of 14 Jean-Noël had left school and was helping to support the family by working with his father in the logging camps of Northern Ontario.
The Audy family moved from Québec to Bonnyville, Alberta in 1945. There he continued to help support the family by working on his parents’ farm. Jean-Noël travelled throughout much of Northern Alberta and BC, wherever construction work, winter commercial fishing or logging could be found to supplement the farm income. He returned to Bonnyville to assist in seeding and harvesting, and there he met Marie Beauchemin, daughter of Laurent Beauchemin and Germaine Gagnon. They were married on October 9, 1950.
The Audy family then moved to Nampa in 1950. Jean-Noël and his brother Tony broke a great deal of the land around Nampa, Marie-Reine, Berwyn, Brownvale and as far as Bluesky, all with a single bottom 22 inch breaking plow, and without hydraulics on the WD-9 tractor! Jean-Noël, Marie, and later their son Léon, opened up ten quarters of their own land, from bush to seeding.
In the mid 60’s Jean Noël and Marie acquired a timber berth 23 miles from their home. They would do the logging in winter then, using their only tractor to power the sawmill, they would begin sawing during spring breakup. As weather warmed up, work would begin getting farm equipment ready and cleaning last year’s held-over grain for the seeding. The summer would consist of sawing all dimensions of lumber, especially the big skids used under the granaries that were then being built in the area. After harvest, it would be time to go hunting to replenish the freezer. Like many men of his time, Jean-Noël loved hunting and fishing with his family, and the entire family has fond memories of those times.
Jean-Noël was predeceased by two children Céline and Léon, his parents, Freddy and Alice, his sister Marie-Paule, and his brothers Viateur “Vic”, Ghislain “Jess” and Gabriel.
Jean-Noël is survived by his wife of 59 years Marie, three children Michel (Fiona), Jacques, and Annette (Gord), daughters-in-law Karen and Corinne, fifteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Jean-Noël is also survived by nine brothers and sisters, Antonin “Tony” (Stephanie), Fabienne “Faye”, Jean-Berchmans, Solange, Mirelle (Richard), Guylande “Gail” (Jack), Suzelle “Suzi” (Jim), Hélène (Steve) and Madeleine (Ken), 35 nieces and nephews and numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews. He will also be greatly missed by his brother-in-law and sisters-in-law on the Beauchemin side, along with their children.
Jean-Noël spent his last week at the Peace River hospital with his family by his side.
The family wishes to thank Drs. Welch, Madzimure, Eckhart, de Graad and all of the nurses and staff for their support, care and kindness during this difficult time.
If desired, donations in Jean-Noël’s memory may be made to the Peace Palliative Care Society.
|
