Obituary of Loa Ouellette

Obituary Loa Eva (Bjornson) Ouellette February 10, 1931 - January 27, 2017 On Friday, January 27th, Loa Eva (Bjornson) Ouellette passed away peacefully in her sleep. As her family said good night to her the night before, she told them that she was waiting for George to come, so they could go for a walk. While we find it hard to say goodbye, we trust that she is at peace: her struggles and pain have passed. On another early morning almost 86 years ago, on February the 10th, Loa came into this world at the family homestead in Sunnybrook, near Arras. The family liked to play bridge and that night was no exception. As the story goes, everyone wanted to finish the rubber before they went to fetch help. Thank goodness Granny Palsson was fetched in time to assist in the delivery. Loa's older sister, Jodis, often told of her memory of Granny Palsson coming into the bedroom, in the middle of the night, putting a little bundle into her bed saying, "here is your baby sister, you look after her." Finally after 5 brothers, Jodis had her very own sister! Another sibling, her oldest brother, John, also remembered the exciting night. He told of the weather being unseasonably warm that February. Is it any wonder, then, that she was named Loa. For in Iceland, Loa is the name of the migrating bird whose yearly reappearance is always the first sign of spring. Loa enjoyed life on the homestead and shared many stories of growing up with her 5 brothers and 2 sisters. She used to say, "I guess those depression years were tough times, but I never felt any of it." In 1940, the family moved into Dawson Creek to allow the younger children to go to high school. It was an unsettling move for a girl who so loved life on the farm. One story she told was of her fright the first time she heard the noisy train rumbling by, blowing its loud whistle. Loa's Grandmother, Amsi, also shared her homesickness for the farm. In fact, in their first summer in town, the two of them went back to the homestead and stayed until it was time to start school in the fall. But, Loa soon adapted to the new life, busying herself with babysitting and helping families in the neighbourhood. 1948 was again a year of great change in the family. Loa's father died in February and her grandmother in August. It was also the year that Loa graduated from high school. Now, it was time for her and Jodis to be off on their great adventure to become "real teachers". Jodis had taught in schools on a temporary basis, but waited for Loa to graduate so they could attend Normal School in Victoria together. On June 24, 1949, the big day finally came. Loa was officially a real teacher! She received a telegram appointing her to the staff of School District #60. The salary: $2,000 per annum, isolation bonus included! At age 18, Loa's first teaching appointment was to the Sunrise School. She remembered, "I was on cloud 9 - with a huge feeling of confidence, some home-made flash cards, an alphabet, and number cards, I was off to teach! Ignorance is bliss." It was there in the fall of 1949, that Loa met the love of her life. George and Loa were married on July 3rd, 1951. Her mother, like all parents, wanted the very best for her daughter and having been a farmer's wife herself, thought that there were easier rows to hoe. When it seemed obvious that Loa's mind was set, she gave her one piece of advice, "If you are a girl; you never milk the cow. Once you start, it will be your job for life." Family was always important to George and Loa. Between the years of 52 to 64, they were blessed with 8 children. During this time, they built their new house and moved from the one room log cabin that Loa wrote about in her poem. Farming and family life kept Loa busy. 1965-66 was a rough year for farmers. Poor crops meant George was off to the Yukon to work, leaving Loa to deal with the animals, the farm, the children and chicken pox, mumps, and measles that winter. In the fall of 1967, Loa decided return to teaching, first at the Airport School and then at Taylor. By then, the rules had changed, no longer did a Certificate from Normal School allow you to teach for life. So while working and caring for her family, she took correspondence classes and attended summer school to complete her permanent teaching certificate. Loa ended her teaching career at Taylor school, where she taught until her retirement in 1987. Although Loa missed teaching, her days were filled with grandchildren, gardening, berry picking, wine making, curling, traveling and substitute teaching. Loa loved to nurture, whether it was her garden, her students or her family. As a gardener she took a special pride in her flower garden. There her patience and perseverance and love for all living things were very evident. As a teacher that same patience, perseverance and pride, served her well. Each one of her students was special to her. She celebrated them all for their unique talents and achievements. In turn, her students loved and respected her. Not only did they learn to read and write in her class, but they also got to make ice cream! For Loa, there was beauty and satisfaction in every moment. As a mother, grandmother and great grandmother, her family were her true joy. Loa is survived by her 8 children, 14 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. Being with her family was what Loa enjoyed most of all. This is where she drew her strength and left her legacy. Her family all remember how welcoming home was and that Loa never minded if they brought an extra friend or cousin home with them. Her philosophy was always, "That's OK, it's just one more potato in the pot." She had a way of making everyone feel welcome and special. Generosity was her gift. Her family remember these wonderful lessons that she left with them: Keep your priorities straight; Trying is as important as achieving; Do what needs to be done; Leave off the things that don't really matter; Take time to do what you most enjoy; Love and care for your family: Make sure they know you love them At George's funeral, surrounded by her family, waiting to enter this church, Loa said, "All I ever wanted was lots of kids, and look what he gave me, and they sure clean up nice, don't they?" In lieu of flowers expressions of sympathy can be made in memory of Loa to the North Peace Seniors Housing Society or the Fort St. John Hospital Foundation. Cemetery Details Woodlawn Cemetery Fort St. John, BC, Memorial Service FEB 7. 10:00 AM Catholic Church of the Resurrection 9504 - 100 Ave BC, CA Services