Memoirs of
Wilfred
Bouffard
born
March 3, 1906, the 6th child
written 4/2/1982
The family of
Gaudias Bouffard and Alvine Ferland with fourteen children. Three died, all born
in Canada except Aldea born in Fall River in 1920. The family came to the United
states in 1918, October 28th, made possible by three 
little
girls, 15-16 years old. Eva, Merina and Marie Louise who came to this country in
1912, to work in the textile mills weaving and saved their money so we could all
come to America, and I believe all of us had a good life in this country. I for
one want to say thanks to those three.
Now for the life on the farm in
Canada, Pa with so many mouths to feed came to the mills in Fall River to weave
and make money for seeds to
sow (pour les semer onus). That’s French, Ha-Ha! I bet you can’t believe I
can write French. Ma was left alone with 7-8 kids, Albert 12, Diana 11, and
myself 12 and so on down the line.
I remember one winter
storm that lasted 2 days and I also remember Ma trying to get to the barn to
feed the animals, the barn was 100 to 150 feet from the house. It was a terrible
blizzard, in no time she disappeared in the snow that must have been three feet
deep. Albert and I went out and brought her back in the house. We didn’t get
to the barn for two days. Anyone in doubt about the Canadian winters can contact
the weather man, Ha-Ha!, no I’m just kidding.
About fifteen years ago, the town of
St. Croix, 6 or 7 miles from Sacred Heart parish (paroisse Sacre Coeur) where we
lived now called Issoudun was completely buried under snow, it was in all the
papers, how we ever managed, I don’t know.
This I remember very well, at the end
of summer 1917, Pa, Diana, Albert and myself went deep into the woods to clear
land for a farmer, we had two big bulls and a horse. We slept in a small shed,
the bulls and the horse on one side divided by a light partition, we slept on
bunk beds, Diana was our cook, we worked there till the snow fell. Coming home
we fell asleep on the low gear. Pa in the front with 
the
horse. I didn’t notice that the bulls also fell asleep. We were stranded in
the woods. Pa didn’t notice we were not behind until he had gone a few hundred
feet, that’s no joke and I remember the feeling. Check with Diana, she
remembers. If anyone wants to write more that’s alright. I too was in the
mills at fourteen, so it’s not easy to write.
So long,
Wilfred
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