I was born at the St. Boniface General Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I was baptized in the R.C. Paroisse de Ste-Geneviève church and I lived in Rosewood. Three and a half years later, my parents moved to another farm in Ste-Geneviève. At age 17 1/2, I left home after my fourth year at Ste. Anne Collegiate. I completed my training at the Success Commercial College and worked for the Great West Life Assurance Company. Guy LeGal and I were married in 1967. I resigned from my job in 1970 to give birth to André. Julie followed in 1973 and Joseph (Joey) in 1978.

These two younger children succombed to complications of Congenital Muscular Dystrophy in 1977 and 1983, respectively. Guy was diagnosed with metastasized cancer and died in my arms on December 2, 2006. He was five months short of retirement from the City of Winnipeg and seven months short of our 40th wedding anniversary.

I am now living close to my son and his family in Quebec. I made the serious decision to move close to my only surviving child, André, his wife and my two grandaughters, my sources of happiness, in La belle province.

I make a point of going back to my <roots> once a year. I reunite with all my family and acquaintances as well as my neighbours in Lorette, Manitoba. I usually spend a few days in Prairie Grove doing upkeep of Guy, Julie and Joey's gravesite as well as catch up with news with my former neighbours and friends. The rest of the time, I'm weeding (once a year is NO JOKE!)...so glad the folks next door help with the year round upkeep. Guy's (in family AND personality) great-nephew, Marc Gendreau is in charge of my 5th Wheel and home away from home for one to two summer months.

Update 2022:
On Dec. 31, 2015 I purchased the lot next to my Manitoba lot 9 in Lorette. This is a 3-plex plusa 4-car garage which includes a 2-bdrm suite on the upstairs 1/2. All legal work was done through email with the final papers drawn by a Québec notary. A law firm took care of the Manitoba deal.
In April, 2016 I moved to Lorette, MB and, since my sister Lynne's 3-bdrm. house was empty, I rented for a year while my suite was being built above the other 1/2 of the garage at my new acquisition. I have been happily living there ever since while managing the other four suites.

Written by Gisèle J.M. Fiola