Individual Details

Both Donat and Mé lina arrived in the district of Albertville, Saskatchewan in 1911. Donat arrived with his uncles and aunts, the Beauchesnes. He, his sister Maria and young brother Emile had been orphans since 1907. His brother Emile and sister Maria were placed in St. Patrick`s Orphanage in Prince Albert.

Donat, being the oldest, was thought at the age of twelve to be old enough to earn his keep, so he received little more than a year of schooling. Trapping, hunting and helping on the Beauchesne homestead, he soon found it was not an easy life. He left at the age of fifteen to work for farmers. That was the first time he met Melina Perreault. At sixteen, Donat worked for the Wallys and not only learned to speak English through Mrs. Wally, but also learned what family life was all about.

In 1916, he worked for the Prince Albert Lumber Company in the bush. From 1917 to 1918 he did lumber mill work and farm work wherever he could. Finally he had saved enough money to get a homestead in the Garden River District. He worked for Mr. Perreault and met Melina again. In 1921 they were married in Albertville, the last couple to marry in the old church.

In 1922, they moved into a log shack on Mr. Perreault`s land. They lived there one summer and winter, where they saw the sun and moon in between the logs of their shack. They had a lot of hardships.

In 1923, they bought the land Mr. Perreault had bought from Mr. Boileau (originally Mr. Sherman's). In exchange he gave his own homestead and two years of wages, plus the payment still due to Mr. Boileau. He cleared some land.

Donat and Melina spent the rest of the winter, both working in Prince Albert. Returning to the farm in 1924, they were able to buy four horses. They built a little shack where they lived until 1933. This new house is still a beautiful house and sturdy as ever. It is where their son Noel and wife Armande are living today. (1980)

Donat`s sister, Maria married Alfred Pellerin. She passed away less than a year later, after giving birth to her first child.

In 1925 Maria was born. Around this time Donat bought his first tractor, a Titan. Donat also served as a councillor for Buckland from 1927-32.

In 1928, their second child, Donat jr. was born. He later married Aline Prince and had three girls. Paulette, Yvonne and Jacqueline. He passed away at the age of 25 in 1954 when his rented home in Albertbville burned. He saved his wife, daughters Paulette (polio victim) and Jackie but was unable to save Yvonne. He received third degree burns and died a few days later.

In 1931 Noel was born at home. In 1932 a modern barn was built designed for cows and pigs and the family was able to feed them from the inside. An elevator would bring the grain in. After crushing, it was stored and brought through a chute when needed. There was also a self feeder for pigs inside. The barn also included an electric plant that provided electricity to the house and farm buildings. Donat's brother Emile was a barber in Prince Albert and also worked in various banks. He married Flora Fournier in 1939. He had a barber shop and pool room in Marcelin for 15 years. He retired in Prince Albert in 1972.

In winter Donat would repair motors and invent things. He built his own snowplane by imitating how small airplanes were built. If a propoller can pull something, he thought, surely it can also push something as well. The roads were often blocked in winter but Donal could still go anywhere he needed ti go. It was much faster than by horse and caboose. It was quite a curious looking thing making much noise and sending snowflying. Donat is proud to say he saved two lives by having this machine. Mrs. Karmisenski and her unborn child were snowed in their log home when her husband came by foot for help. Donat brought her to the hospital just in time. When Donat asked for a licence in Prince Albert, they had none for this type of machine, so they made him use a truck licence. It became the district`s emergency vehicle.

He also built a snowmobile. (see photo) He had never seen another so it didn't look line any snowmobile of nowadays. Cars were his pride and joy. One was a Buick used to drive Princess Margaret in a parade to the grandstand in Prince Albert.

Donat is proud of all his achievements. But what he is most proud of is the help and encouragement received from his wife Melina.

Always strong supporters of their Roman Catholic faith Donat was church trustee for several years and Melina was a member of the Ladies of Ste Anne for 58 years. - Maria Bolduc Leduc in 1980.

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Birth	8 Apr 1904	Plessisville, Mégantic, Quebec, Canada
Baptism	10 Apr 1904	Plessisville, Quebec, Canada
Residence	1911	Age: 7; Religion: Roman Catholic; CanRead: yes; CanWrite: yes; CountingDistrictName: 26; CountingDistrictNumber: 26; CountyNumber: 212; EmploymentDetails: yes; LanguageSpoken: F; MonthsAtSchool: 7; MaritalStatus: Single; RelationToHead: Daughter - Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
Marriage	24 Nov 1921	Albertville, Saskatchewan, Canada - Donat Emile Alcide Bolduc
Death	31 May 1989	Cancer - Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
Alt name		Melina Perreault
Burial		Albertville, Prince Albert Census Division, Saskatchewan, Canada

Spouse	Donat Emile Alcide Bolduc (1899 - 1987)
Child	Maria Alice Bolduc (1925 - 1995)
Child	Donat Arthur Bolduc (1928 - 1954)
Child	Living

Father	Calixte Perreault (1879 - 1942)
Mother	Marie St-Hilaire (1882 - 1962)
Sibling	Ernest Joseph Arthur Perreault (1905 - 2002)
Sibling	Louis Perreault (1907 - 1907)
Sibling	Lucien Perreault (1907 - 1907)
Sibling	William "Willie" Perreault (1908 - 1940)
Sibling	Arthur Perreault (1910 - 1927)
Sibling	Sr Marie Anne Dite St Evangeline Perrault (1912 - 1938)
Sibling	Paul Emile Joseph Perreault (1914 - 1990)
Sibling	Rose-Marie Perreault (1916 - 1982)
Sibling	Irene Anna Maria Perreault (1918 - 1991)
Sibling	Adélia Perreault (1920 - 1979)
Sibling	Emile Gérard Perreault (1921 - 2013)
Sibling	Armand Joseph Perreault (1923 - 2000)