BOUCHER, CHARLES-EUGENE + Hél'ene Letendre (78 ENG -- 77 fran)

                                 Blogue  78

      BOUCHER, Charles-Eugène  - son of Jean-Baptiste + Caroline Lespérance

      - b. 1864-12-01  St-François-Xavier, MB

      - m. 1886-01-19  Batoche, SK + Hélène Letendre (F-X)

      - d. 1926-  -        St-Louis, SK

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     Charles Eugène was one of the fifteen children of the pioneers Baptiste Boucher and Caroline Lesperance. He was raised in Manitoba and was eighteen years old when he came to the North West Territories with his parents in 1882. He was a well-known Métis in the Batoche area. He was a farmer by occupation and also became a Justine of the Peace and a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1891 to 1898.

     He had a beautiful voice and liked signing.

     Charlers-Eugene wrote songs which expressed the feeling of the Métis people; love songs and political songs. Unfortunately Mr. Boucher's song has gone astray, and all that is left of his work is a song recorded by his brother Joseph in 1957 for the National Museum of Man in Ottawa. It is a song about an election in the Batoche area. A liberal politician, Mr. Campeau .has come to campaign for a local Mr, Lelaird Campeau, as the lyrics would indicate is seen by the Métis as the most unwelcome intruder. Written in French, the lyrics was translater in English.

    Charles-Eugene and Helene Boucher (Helene was the daughter of François-Xavier Letendre and Marguerite Parenteau) were well known in Saint Louis, SK. They lived in the United States for some years. They had seven children:  WILLIAM,  JULES. ANTOINETT|E (Mrs. Crowly), EDNA (Mrs. McDermid)

EVA (Mrs. George Newman, EMILIE (Mrs Herchel Misener)

    Eventually Mr. and Mrs. Charles Eugene Boucher came back to Saint Louis. where they had so many friends and relatives. He died in 1926. Helene died in 1951. Both are buried in the Saint Louis cemetery.