We don’t choose our ancestors. They are our roots, a part of our make up, our bloodline. Sometimes events in their lives have been purposely concealed from us, but nevertheless, they have helped to mold and define us, and shaped our families. First they impacted our grand-parents, and later our own parents would be shaping our lives with their heritage and traditions. Olivine and her husband Émeril pioneered in the Peace River Country of Alberta and rejoiced to see their farm grow and prosper as they toiled side by side raising their large French-Canadian prairie family. I have come to realize that no family is perfect, and in every family history there are broken relatives. That is the very nature of humankind. However, with the knowledge of the characters and personalities in our ancestry we can choose to keep the favorable qualities, and with effort on our part, we can change for the better, the undesirable character traits.
Thank you ever so much for sharing the delightful story of the Lussier-Laurin families and your parents’ cream can romance.” It is our hope that your shining example will inspire more people to dig into their roots and share their own family stories.”
— The Town of McLennan Library Board
I am compelled to write you and let you know how much I thoroughly enjoyed and treasured your family history book about the Lussiers… Reading through your book, I was humbled by the determination, relentless hard work, and spirit of the heroes you so colourfully brought back to life. You have done a great job of capturing their sacrifice and dedication to their faith and their own enduring families. The struggles and triumphs of the characters you describe inspire me to strengthen those values in myself that they so treasured and nurtured.”
— Norman Bizon (grandson of Émeril Lussier’s sister)
Cecile Gannon (Lussier) is the second child and oldest daughter of a large French-Canadian family of twelve children. Cecile grew up in the small community of Kathleen, in the Peace River Country in Northern Alberta, Canada. She attended school in High Prairie and McLennan and thereafter completed the Elementary Education Program at the University of Alberta. Cecile taught in High Prairie, Edmonton, and Fort Saskatchewan and then decided to become a devoted mother and volunteer in her parish and community. Cecile and Neil presently live in Edmonton and enjoy their four grown married children and their eleven grandchildren. Cecile was inspired to write the story of how her pioneer parents had to run away not once, but twice to get married. She and her family loved to hear the story that sometimes revealed new and exciting details. At first, the book, was to be a simple story. When I started writing, I discovered how history and our roots also shaped our families. The book grew to include short stories about my generation growing up on the homestead as children of pioneers. When there are times in my life when I have found the road difficult to travel, I always think of my mother’s life and somehow my troubles fade away. My mother Olivine, has always been a source of strength and inspiration. Lastly, our parents gave us the enduring thread of love that binds a family forever.”
