Bernadette Philomene “Betty” St. Jean, nee Fournier (1919-2017)

Betty Fournier was born in Dawson to father Archie Fournier and grew up on her father’s ranch just outside of town. Starting at age eight, she milked cows, drove tractors, hunted, and rode horses. Her mother left when Betty was fourteen and she and her one year older sister cooked for the ranch hands and did chores. She attended the Dawson high school and graduated in 1935.¹⁾

Betty met her future husband, Armand, when he came to the Yukon as a professional wrestler and worked for her dad. They married in 1940 and had four boys. Denis and Perry where born in Dawson and Gerard and Paul were born in Whitehorse. In 1950, they moved to first Honeymoon Bay and then Nanaimo on Vancouver Island to be close to better schools. They built a home in Harewood where Betty lived until she died. She worked as a secretary for Bastion Realty and then became “The Welcome Wagon Lady” for twenty-five years. She was very involved in the Nanaimo community and worked tirelessly with the local Council of Women.²⁾

Betty was instrumental in bringing the Snuneymuxw First Nation [Coast Salish] women into the Council. Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous women made trips to Ottawa as part of the National Council of Women. Betty loved the symphony orchestra and was President of the Symphony Auxiliary. She was a life member of the Vancouver Yukoners Association and the Order of the Royal Purple. She received a certificate from the City of Nanaimo for her volunteer work. She loved to sing and was a member of the Sweet Adeline’s for many years. After retiring from the Welcome Wagon and the Symphony Auxiliary she joined the German Cultural Society Choir. Betty always drove a Volkswagen and got her first “bug” in 1962. She drove all around North America.³⁾

In 2015, Betty returned to the Yukon to be on the reality show Yukon Gold with one of the stars, her grandson Chris St Jean.⁴⁾