Obituary of Leonie Alice Plouvier

Leonie Alice Plouvier formerly of Halkirk and Castor districts passed away in the Continuing Care Centre in Coronation, Alberta on Saturday, April 16, 2011 at the age of 90 years. Leonie was born north of Halkirk on January 16, 1921. When Leonie was 14 years old she left home to work as a hired girl for a neighboring farm family that lived closer to a school so that she could earn her room and board while continuing her schooling. In 1943 Leonie joined the CWAC (Canadian Women’s Army Corp) and worked in several of the force’s base cafeterias across Canada with a group of girls who became good friends and called themselves the “Kitchen Katies.” She was discharged from the forces in Calgary in 1946. Upon her discharge from the CWAC’s she went to Edmonton and took a beautician’s course then opened and operated her own hair dressing shop in Stettler from 1947 till March of 1967. Leonie had always wanted to travel and in the fall of 1967 she took the first of her many trips to Australia and at one point even lived there for two years. On her return she worked at the Heart Haven Lodge in Stettler and then Paintearth Lodge in Castor. She belonged to the Stettler Legion for 25 years. She decided to retire in 1985 and moved into Manor #2 in Castor. Leonie once won a travel voucher for a train trip to BC and took her brother Alfred and his wife Jean with her. Over the years Leonie’s love of travelling took her to many places all over the world including Eastern Canada and the Maritimes, Alaska, Holland, Belgium, France (where she met some of her relations who still lived there), Germany (where she was thrilled to see the Passion Play), Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey, New Zealand, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bali, Jordan, Israel and many parts of the Holy Land. Over the years Leonie’s eyesight began to fail due to macular degeneration and she lost her sight in 2003 whereupon she decided to move into the Paintearth Lodge in Castor where she resided until February 10th of this year when she moved to the Continuing Care Centre in Coronation until her passing on April 16, 2011. Farewell to a true and good friend……………May she rest in Peace.