Obituary of Molly Desjarlais

"Molly Desjarlais" entered this world as Mary St.Pierre - the second daughter of Therese Dokkie and Leo St. Pierre, in October of 1922. Our "Molly" came from a line of strong women - she was born "on the trail" in a camp at Willow Flats while her mom and dad were returning to Moberly Lake. After giving birth, Therese bundled our Molly up and continued on to Moberly. Molly loved to talk about "kayas" when she was a child. As she told it…her fun was being out in the bush, picking berries or setting rabbit snares, and in riding her horse bareback without a bridle. In 1936, Molly married James (known as Jim) Desjarlais. They had five children; Max, Edward, Allen, Margaret and Franklin. Jim Desjarlais passed away in 1974. Two of her sons, Edward and Allen, were lost to childhood illnesses, and Franklin was killed in an automobile accident in 1989. Molly is survived by her brother Leo Coutoreille, of Fort Nelson; son Max; daughter Margaret; 12 grandchildren; 35 great grandchildren ; 33 great-great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Molly was the keeper of the traditional life - she loved being in the bush - trapping, snaring rabbits, making dry meat, tanning hides and sewing moccasins were her forte. When there was no "work" to be done, you would find her sitting for hours, singing her songs & working on moccasins or beading. She told wonderful stories about the "old ways" & her people's life in the bush. Molly's fun centered around teasing, playing cards, & doing jigsaw puzzles. She loved watching pugeesee, & had a mad passion for bingo! When it came to fashion, Molly had a style that was all her own, with her purple coat, and two different socks. She was never without her toque, which came to be known as the molly toque. In her old age, Molly knew that she had to leave us, and that leaving would be hard, so she started to leave us slowly - a little at a time. There were times, over the last several years, when our strong mother wasn't there, but then she would be back and life would seem more normal. Molly came home on Thursday, 26th of February for our annual baby welcoming. She was there to greet this one last generation of our children, then she passed away quietly in her sleep on Sunday afternoon on March 1, 2009 in Pouce Coupe, B.C. at the age of 92 years. A wake was held on Sunday, March 8, 2009, at the Saulteau First Nations Administration Building. A Funeral Service was held on Monday March 9, 2009 at 9:00 am at the Saulteau First Nations Administration Building, Fr. David John officiated, Interment was held in the West Moberly First Nations Cemetery. Very Respectfully, Reynars Funeral Home & Crematorium.