Mary Bouchard

Mary Bouchard

(nee Roth)

Peacefully, with her son by her side, Mrs. Mary Bouchard of Elie, Manitoba passed away on Sunday, October 19, 2014　at the age of 72 years at the Portage District General Hospital.

She leaves to mourn her son Daniel (Lindsay) Bouchard, granddaughter Madison and her daughter Theresa Bouchard.　 She also leaves to mourn her 3 brothers:　 Albert (Helen) Roth, William (Eva) Roth and Donald (Diana) Roth; as well as brothers and sisters in law, numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

She was predeceased by her husband Roger, parents John and Antonia Roth and nephew John Roth.

A first generation Canadian, Mary was born in Regina, Saskatchewan on July 2, 1942, fourth child and only daughter of John & Antonia Roth. 　At the age of 4, Mary's family bought a dairy farm in Willard, Wisconsin. In 1948, the family found themselves purchasing a square section south of Fannystelle, Manitoba, as grain farming was her father's true passion. 　The Catholic faith was important to the family, and Mary's father drove them to the Catholic school in Fannystelle, where they were taught by nuns and had catechism daily. 　In 1961, Mary completed a secretarial course at Manitoba Technical Institute. 　In 1964, she attended summer school at Red River College which allowed Mary to pursue a career in commercial teaching at the high school level. 　Her first teaching position was in 1964 at Killarney Collegiate. 　The following summer on July 10, 1965, Mary married Roger Bouchard of Elie, Manitoba. On August 21, 1966, their daughter Theresa was born and Mary stayed at home to raise her. 　Two years later Mary secured a position at St. Paul's Collegiate in Elie where she taught mostly typing, bookkeeping and some business related courses.  Mary taught for five years until her son Daniel arrived on July 13, 1974.

On Christmas Eve 1982, Roger passed away following a brief battle with cancer.  After 17 years of marriage Mary, now at the age of 40, was a widow with a 16 year old and an 8 year old to raise alone.  In March 1985 Mary secured a job with the White Horse Plain School Division creating libraries in various schools within the division.  The job was ongoing until her retirement in 2006.

Mary's love of organ music prompted her to buy her first home organ, as she had had 4 years of piano lessons as a child.  She was largely self taught and through sheer determination and spending every free moment practising, in December 1974 Mary began playing the church organ at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Elie. 　In 2002, Mary became organist at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) Parish in Winnipeg where she played until Father's Day 2014, after which her illness made it too difficult to continue.  This December would have marked 40 years of dedicated service to music ministry. 　Mary truly cherished the friendships made at OLPH.  She was also a member of the Catholic Women's League.

Mary was deeply devoted to her church and was a woman of unwavering faith. She endured many personal challenges but always showed grace, strength and unshakable confidence in God.

Funeral Services will be held in the Blessed Sacrament Church in Elie, Manitoba on Saturday, October 25, 2014. Recitation of the Rosary and viewing at 2 p.m., Funeral Mass at 2:30 p.m. followed by Family Interment in the Parish Cemetery with Msgr. Maurice Comeault and Father John Legitimas officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of choice.

Adam’s Funeral Home of Notre Dame de Lourdes, Manitoba in care of arrangements.  Phone 248-2201 or1-888-400-2326 . www.afh.ca