Ovila Joseph Girouard (1917 - 1962)

Born 16 Jul 1917 in 25 Girouardville Road, Bouctouche, Kent, New Brunswick, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Rita Marie (Lacenaire) Girouard — married 21 Sep 1943 in Église Saint Jean de Baptiste, Bouctouche, Kent, New Brunswick, Canada

Descendants

Died 20 Oct 1962 at age 45 in 139 Beech St, Cleghorn , Fitchburg, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Ray Girouard [send private message] and Katherine Landry [send private message]

This profile is part of the Girouard Name Study.

Biography

Ovila was the son of Aphée Tèleshore Girouard and Marie Blanche LeBlanc Ovila used his dad as a role model , all his life . Ovila was a very strong catholic in his beliefs .we went to Saint Joseph's church every Sunday In Cleghorn Fitchburg . Everyone in the family set down at the dining room table , just like when he was back home . Ovila kept the family values he learned from his dad Aphée and Marie-Blanche all his life and pass then down to his kids . Education was very important to my dad and to respect everyone . Ovila started working as a young boy on his dad's farm. He would milk the cows, feed the chickens. And also help cut the fire wood. He was twenty five years old when they had electricity put in the farm house in 1942 .

My dad went to Buctouche Superior School at 133 Main Street , Built in 1888 and torn down in 1969 . It's where the post office stands now , 133 Irving Blvd .

At age 28 he then went to work in the woods at a logging camp for weeks at the time and worked on his won farm. He also work on the farm at the Bouctouche Convent for a few years . At 150 Covent Road in Bouctouche in the 40's ,it was built in 1888 by the people of the town . His son Roméo went to the one room school that was there .

My dad learned to drive a car and fix it , he was self taught , he also learned to work as a grinder at Rolling Stone Foundry in Fitchburg . he was also trying to improve himself all the time aways willing to learn something new . We would go for a lot of family drives

In about 1945 he bought the farm for five hundred dollars from his father in law Pierre Lacenaire farm at 70 Rue Évangeline Street in Bouctouche and lived there until it burnt down in 1956.

Then on May 30 1956 he moved his family to Cleghorn ,Fitchburg Massachusetts, United States . Where he was employed as a grinder for Rollstone Foundry Co. He was a member of the International Foundry Workers, Local 147, for seven year. When the company went on strike for five cents an hour , he had to go on welfare for the first time in his life , i remember he told my mother it would never happen again . He was embarrassed about it . He said what would my mother think . He never told anyone and my mother too.

My parents went shopping at Tom's Food World in Cleghorn Fitchburg . They also went shopping at a big department store in Leominster Massachusetts . I remember they had a lot of Christmas stuff , that's when he bought my brother his radio flyer tricycle for five dollars and the radio flyer wagon for about seven dollars , my brother never forgot about that . When he wanted to buy something he would always talked it over with my mother and they would decide together

When we moved to 133 Beech Street , the grass was very high ,he cut it and did the flowers beds . He also trim the fruit trees , the lawn was well maintained by my dad cut the lawn until it was perfect , the landlord was very old ,what ever my dad did was find with him .He also trimmed the spruce tree and at Christmas he would decorate with big old fashion lights . We would go downtown Cleghorn and buy a Christmas tree and he decorate it too , he loved Christmas . The My dad would not let anyone else cut the lawn , it had to be to his liking . My dad was a well respect on Beech Street , for helping anyone who came to his door for help. He would also clean his car every weekend , it always look nice We drove to Gardner, Waltham Massachusetts and Bridgeport Connecticut and back home to Bouctouche , Saint Paul ,Shediac and Robichaud Office New Brunswick , many times , he loved driving his car all over the place with the family . One day a neighbour's son came over and asked him for help , his adopted parents were very naughty . So my dad and mother help him , my dad said you are graduation from high school soon with very high marks . I know you are very interested in the navy and he should join , he then worte his name and my mother and phone number down . You can used us has a reference , well he got in and came back to thank them , for what they did. He also help the Italian neighbour how asked about the grapes in the back yard , my dad told him he could have all he needed . One day he call my dad to go over this is what in made with the grapes , it was wine.

He died at his home Saturday afternoon at 139 Beech St. Cleghorn ,Fitchburg Massachusetts , his funeral was at Saint Joseph's Church in Cleghorn , Fitchburg , Massachusetts . The week before he died he was planning to move back to home because his son Roméo and he and my mother didn't like it there so they decided to move to Bouctouche N .B . Canada. He also bought your first television , it was a RAC television floor model . He paid $495 for it , got it in Fitchburg . Ovila 's godfather was Hilaire Girouard and his godmother was Emilienne Leger. He was the son of Alphee Girouard and Marie Blanche LeBlanc

Sources

* Provincial Archives of New Brunswick , Canada

*The Girouard family

• Rita Lacenaire

*Raymond Girouard

*Find A Grave: Memorial #203872907

* Shaunna Fuellbrandt Entered Sept 11 , 2012 . Firsthand knowledge and others .