Express Staff
smokyriverexpress.com
Pauline (Alexandre) Gervais will celebrate her ninetieth birthday on June 7.
Born to Joe and Marie Jeanne Alexandre in 1928, Pauline Alexandre married Armand Gervais in 1945.
Following their wedding, Pauline and Armand lived with her parents at the Alexandre family farm outside Falher.
In 1952, they moved to their own farm south of McLennan where they also ran a timber cutting operation.
Four years later, they moved once again to an acreage on the south side of the CN tracks in the Town of McLennan while Armand continued to farm. Armand also worked for Northern Alberta Railway.
In McLennan, Pauline worked at AG&T from 1950 to 1965. Three years later AG&T closed its answering service located upstairs in the Elks Hall.
Following AG&T, Pauline worked at the co-op until a fire destroyed the business in 1968.
She also worked as a cashier, first for Vic Beland then for Vic’s brother Gerry Beland who purchased the store and she continued to work through another change in ownership when Vic Fournier and Dennis Thibault purchased the business from Gerry Beland.
Pauline continued working at “Beland’s until 1978. She also worked for a number of years as a guard at the McLennan police station and ran a busy catering business for a number of years.
Having always wanted to be a teacher’s aide she enrolled at the McLennan Alberta Vocational Centre in 1978 and the following year the Department of Education and Manpower appointed her to the position of instructor’s aide.
Pauline has acquired a long list of volunteering work and accomplishments and even now, at the age of 90 she continues to take part in her organizations and is proud to be still involved.
Along with being a long time member of the Catholic Women’s League for which she was presented her 60-year pin on May 22, Pauline joined the Royal Purple in April 1959.
She served in almost every position within the Royal Purple including president for eleven years.
Pauline Gervais was also active within the community being involved with figure skating, the curling club, 4-H Club, Golden Age, parish council and Homecoming 1979, when Pauline and her committee served over 2,000 people.
Armand and Pauline Gervais had six children, the eldest Gerry, was born in 1946 married Lorene Hick and they had two children Jan and Tineke.
Julian, born in 1948, married Maggie Bastien and they have three children Dave, Steve and Gail.
Gilbert 1949 has two children, Tammy and Carrie. Linda who was born in 1954 married Jacques Plante and their children are Nicole, Monique and Jacqueline.
Ida, born in 1956, married Greg Welch and they had two boys Alec and Peter. The youngest of the six children, Luc, born 1957 had three children, Paul, Adele and Isabel.
Pauline’s Philosophy involves, among other things, giving good example, generosity, listening, prayer, blessings, models of God, hope, keeping traditions alive and maintaining bridges to the past.
She is very proud of her children and their families and loves to send her children letters in which she always includes some family history.
The words of wisdom that Pauline lives by are,
“I believe in order to keep your sanity you have to maintain your religious beliefs, and helping others by being involved in volunteering work helps to keep you happy.”
