Yvonne Elizabeth Graham (nee Desbiens)
July 1, 1919 - January 4, 2011
It is with a great sense of sadness and loss that the family of Marie Yvonne Elizabeth Graham of Drumheller, Alberta, announce her graceful passing on Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at the age of 91 years at the Drumheller Health Centre. Mom was born July 1, 1919 in Bolkow, Ontario, the fifth of 13 children, to Adelaide and Louis Desbiens. The family owned and operated a general store, boarding house, and pool hall. Her father was also a cook, and, the local forest ranger in this small railroad community. Mom learned to hunt and fish during her growing years. Mom was always a homebody, preferring to be at home with her mother and never wandering too far away. Mom’s young years in Bolkow were spent surrounded by her very large extended French family that included her pépère Mars, a wonderful storyteller, as well as her many sisters and brothers and their children. Mom was a very gifted musician and artist, learning to play by ear the piano, guitar, accordion and mouth organ. Mom always dreamed of living the ranch life, so when, in 1950, she came across a magazine ad that bachelor and future husband, John, had placed looking for a cook on the ranch, she applied for the job. John, his brother Bill, and their elderly mother needed a cook to feed them and the ranch hands. This began a year-long romance through correspondence that led to her coming out west to Drumheller in 1951 to meet this rancher. As she often recounted the tale, she got off the train after spending a week travelling from Ontario with her brother Ernie, and there, leaning against the wall of the old White House Hotel, was dad, decked out in his usual cowboy hat and boots. She knew instantly that it was him and it was love at first sight. Mom stayed at the Graham ranch in the Wintering Hills for two weeks and then it was time to head back to Ontario. It was then dad’s turn to meet the very large and close-knit Desbiens family for Christmas, 1952. They decided at this time that they wanted to marry. The couple travelled to Sudbury, Ontario to buy Yvonne’s engagement ring and the deal was set. Dad returned to East Coulee and mom followed in April of 1953. Mom often talked of the blizzard on her wedding day, April 11, when they got married in the Knox United Church in Drumheller. The snow was knee deep and the cold was harsh. She later had her marriage blessed by a Catholic priest. Having come from the bush of northern Ontario, mom quickly adapted to prairie ranch life. She often said that it took a few years to become accustomed to the prairies but she soon fell in love with the Drumheller valley which she called her “Beautiful hills of home.” She loved Drumheller and it was truly her home. Three years after their marriage, they were blessed with their first child, John Barry, followed two years later by Robin Byron. Darryl came next and finally, their girl, Sandra, was born. Mom’s family was the most important thing to her; everything else was secondary. She was the strong glue that held her family together and everyone just knew that they had better be there for any family occasions. Christmas was a magical time of tradition with “cipate” being served Christmas eve for the reveillon. Mom was proud of her French Canadian heritage and insisted on speaking French to her family no matter who was there or where she was. The table would always be full, be it with family, friends, or strangers. She loved the cowboy way of life and loved to see her John dressed in western clothes. She also loved bingo and going out to the restaurant and the IGA. In later years, mom and dad could often be seen walking downtown, headed to the restaurant for their morning coffee or their evening supper. Mom was a devout Catholic who had a simple, yet profound and unmoving faith in God and the power of prayer. Her gift to everyone was that she would offer to pray for them and she would. She could often be heard saying “God bless” to those she met. Mom leaves to mourn her children Sandra (Mark), Darryl (Louise), Byron (Helen), and John Barry, and her sister Lola Yearley of Drumheller and her niece Nancy Worthing of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She also leaves her sisters Aldea Kneafsey of St. Catherine’s, Ontario and Alice Huard of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Nanny will also be missed by her grandchildren Auberon, Averie, Christopher, Mitchell, Olivier, and Robin as well as her close nieces and nephews Troy, Sadie, Shane, Charlene and Shawna. She also leaves her great-grandson, Robby and numerous nieces and nephews in Alberta and Ontario. Mom was predeceased by our dad, John Graham, on September 25, 2003, as well as her parents Louis in 1957 and Adelaide in 1976, and her siblings, Oliva, Leontine, Leontine, Horace, Ramone, Leone, Ernest, Germaine, Marcel, Micheline, all of Ontario. Funeral took place on Monday, January 10, 2011 at St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Parish, 151 Third Street West, Drumheller, with Fr. Mario Basque officiating. Prayers took place on Sunday, January 9 at 7 p.m. at Courtney-Winter’s Funeral Home, Second Avenue and Second Street West, Drumheller, with same in charge of arrangements. If so desired, donations can be made to St. Anthony’s Church in Drumheller in memory of Yvonne Graham for the purchase of sacred vestments.
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