Biographie Prefontaine Berthe

1905-2003 Berthe Marie Lalonde (nee Prefontaine) of Calgary passed away at The Beverly Centre on October 4, 2003 at the age of 98 years. Born in a family of seven children on January 28, 1905 in Elle, Manitoba. In 1912, Berthe moved with ber parents to Lisieux, Saskatchewan where her father operated a hotel and farm business. Her parents Albert and Leda Prefontaine had settled in Manitoba from Beloeil, Quebec in the late 1800's along with a number of relatives, one of whom became a Senator for Manitoba. After attending school at the Couvent de Willow Bunch, Berthe married Joseph Dosithe Lalonde (J.D. or Dusty!) founder of a number of funeral benefit societies in St. Victor, Saskatchewan, later to become Family Life Assurance Company and Sovereign Life Assurance Company under their son Roger. While raising her five children in St. Victor, she Ied an exemplary life of dedication to her family, her parish and her God. She was especially proud and in contact with her nineteen grandchildren and over thirty great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Her many hobbies included petit point, knitting, quilting, flower gardening, reading, travelling, and of course, the daily recitation of the Holy Rosary. She retired with her husband in nearby Assiniboia in 1972 and moved to Calgary following the loss of her husband in 1991. Berthe was predeceased by all of her siblings except her youngest sister, Beatrice Vervile, of Ste-Anne, Manitoba, and by her son Denis Jean in 1989, and her daughter Colette Marie Dolores in 2000. She is survived by her first-born, Lucille Cano (Michael) of Ottawa: Gerald (MaryAnn) Lalonde of Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, and Roger (Doreen) Lalonde of Calgary Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Spirit Catholic Church (10827-24 Street SW) on Tuesday, October 7, 2003 at 11:00 a.m. with lnterment at a later date in St. Victor, Saskatchewan. E-mail condolences may be sent to Berthe's family c/o info@commernorativeservices.ca. Arrangements in care of COMMEMORATIVE SERVICES FUNJERAL DIRECTORS_ Telephone: 265-119W "Celebrating the Lives of Our Community" 355694