Lionel Daoust
(1925 -)
Lionel Daoust was born in Sturgeon Falls ON on November 14, 1925. He was the 10th surviving child of Albert and Oliva. Lionel grew up in this small Northern Ontario town, Sturgeon Falls, which has a sizable French community. During WWII, he joined the Canadian Air Force with the intention of going to Europe. He joined in March 1943 and stayed until 1946. He was a boxer while in the service. He trained as a Radio Control Tower operator. In 1944 in Windsor, Ontario he met his future wife, Yolande Danis on a blind date set up by her mother who wanted Yo to act as a chaperon for her sister, Terry. Yo didn't initially like Lionel but her mother coaxed her and she dated him for a month before he went to the Yukon. They corresponded. While in the Yukon, Lionel (the bootlegger) sold liquor to get money to buy an engagement ring. Three months after he gave it to her, yo lost the diamond of the ring. She claimed it was expected since "It was bought with BAD MONEY!!" They were married on June 9, 1945 at St Jean Baptiste church in Ottawa, Ontario. Lionel never made it to the front in Europe. By the time he'd finished his training and gotten his shots etc the war had ended. Lionel rejoined in 1948 and remained in the Air Force for several years. According to Yolande, they moved 40 times during those years!! They were stationed in Baden, Baden, Germany from October 1956 to March 1959. His brother Jean Guy, my dad, was also in Germany at the same time. My dad was in the army. Lionel and Yo had 2 kids while there; so did my parents - twin girls, Yvonne and Yvette!! On returning to Canada, they lived in Trenton, Ontario, an air force town for six years then Downsview, an air force town in Toronto!!
When Lionel retired from the Air Force in January 1969, he went to work for Radio Shack in London, Ontario. He was a store manager for 16 years.
Uncle Lionel, Dad and Therese were the youngest of the large Albert Daoust and Oliva Delorme clan. In consequence, they did lots of things together. I asked Dad to try to remember...
Uncle Euclid (Oliva's brother) had a farm near Sturgeon Falls. Dad recalls they would sometimes help on the farm, like real laborers!! They would thin out rows and rows of carrots. Loved eating the young shoots. They'd also help at harvest time. As young boys, Lionel and Jean Guy would also work at Uncle Euclid's lumber camp. He would get horses by the carload ( I said carloads?! Dad said Ya) from the West. He'd keep the best ones and sell the others. Lionel and Dad would skid the logs with these horses. Once, Uncle Euclid caught Lionel and Jean Guy in the woodshed. They were smoking rolled up corn silk. Euclid took the two of them to the front parlor of the house, a forbidden zone. Only on special occasions with guests was it EVER used. He told them " If you're going to smoke, you're going to smoke like men!" He gave them each a Cuban cigar and made them smoke the WHOLE thing. They both got sick!!
There's also the story of frozen donuts. In the winter, the family would make donuts and put them on a shelf outside, above the ice box. Uncle Lionel and Jean Guy would struggle to get on top of the ice box and steal a few frozen donuts!! Aunt Georgette went once to get them to discover they'd ALL been eaten. She couldn't believe the 2 boys had stuffed themselves with FROZEN donuts!!
Grandma Daoust would also occasionally make choke cherry wine. Once while the wine was still fermenting, full of pits etc, Lionel and Jean Guy drank some of it - they were sick as dogs!!
A later story - In the late 50s, both Uncle Lionel's and our family were stationed in Germany. Lionel was the coach of the air force hockey team in Baden, Baden. My family was in Werl, Westfalia. When my mother was quite pregnant in February 1959, Uncle Lionel and Yo came with the hockey team to Werl. They stayed with my parents. In the morning, my mother's water broke. Lionel was to drive them in his station wagon to the hospital, 14 miles away. They were advised she should take the ambulance unless they wanted to deal with giving birth in the car!! When the twins, Yvette and Yvonne were born, the nurse told Dad he had 2 lovely daughters. He thought Francine and a new baby girl. They were all shocked to find out mom had had twins!! No ultra sounds then !! Dad remembers looking through the window and showing 2 fingers to Yo who just couldn't believe it!! Uncle Lionel and Yolande, Yvonne were godparents to Yvonne!
Both our families lived together in Trenton, Ontario for awhile in the 60s. Fran remembers that for her Confirmation, Aunt Yo tried to perm her hair with a Toni then another one then a Crest. She kept thinking there was something wrong with the products. Fran's hair just wouldn't curl!!
Aunt Marcelle remembers that when Lionel was young he was VERY "capricieux" fussy in English ( I somehow don't think he's changed!!).
more on children, grandchildren and great grandchildren!!
