Ilene (McLean) Lizotte and Connie (McLean) Paul - Buttertown, Fort Vermillion, Alberta

Ilene (McLean) Lizotte and Connie (McLean) Paul

 They were the oldest of six girls and two boys. Their brother called them bosom pals because they spent most of their time together. They lived with their family in a two-room log cabin home with ten. Because the girls were the oldest, their parents, Robert McLean and Christie (Mercredi) McLean, tasked them with much of the chorus.

Each year, with the help of their Mom, they planted a large garden consisting of potatoes, carrots, beans and peas. The bosom pals were always helping their Mom, and after the harvest, they canned all the fruit, vegetables and moose meat, storing 400 jars in the cellar for the winter months.

 They had everything they needed and never considered themselves poor. Their parents worked hard and ensured the kids always had food and clothing. Their Mom sewed, and they had a horse and chickens. From spring to fall, their Dad worked at a farm and was able to bring back some meat for them. During the winter, he cut and sold wood. The girls learned how to cut wood and haul snow for drinking water because everyone had to do their part.   All the kids received new ski pants, jackets, and felt boots every fall, which were needed because they walked 5 miles back and forth to school every day until grade 9 despite the cold weather.  

 Life was beautiful for them; their Mom and Dad always laughed and pulled pranks on each other. Their Dad was a big fun guy, and there was a lot of love between them all. Their parents like to play tricks on the kids, so there is never a dull moment, and they couldn't be happier.

 One late summer afternoon, the girls picked berries at their favorite spot near Peace River. It was always a slow process because, to be honest, they would prefer to be playing. To make it fun, their Mom created a friendly competition for the girls, challenging them to see who could pick the berries the fastest. There was never a reward, but the challenge was enough to change the energy because they both wanted to win. 

 One day, their cousin Neal Mercredi was picking with them; he seemed to be filling up his pail quicker than they did, and they didn't understand how. After they were finished, they started walking home, and Neal stumbled on a tree root, spilling the contents of his pail on the ground. The girls gasped in surprise and giggled when they saw he had stuffed moss in the bottom of the bucket to make it look like his pail was full of berries. The kids laughed and teased him as they helped pick up his few berries. They continued to walk on the path toward home while the leaves danced and the birds sang just for them. They stopped momentarily to watch the sunset when, suddenly, behind them, they heard a sound and looked at each other. They nervously brushed off the sound but quickened their pace, then another sound; it was the crack of twigs breaking, and they turned around to see the leaves moving. Their eyes widened, their hearts beating; they looked at each other and said quietly, 'It's a bear.' They started to run towards the cabin. When they returned to safety, they turned around, desperate to catch a glimpse of the bear emerging from the woods. They kept watching, only to see the girl's Mom walking out of the bushes laughing so hard she had tears streaming down her face. "You should have seen the look on your faces, she said. The girls started to laugh; Mom, you got us again.

 The two-room cabin was tiny; there was very little space to sit inside, so when they weren't helping out, they spent all their time outside creating adventurous ways to entertain themselves. One of their favorite pastimes was to find a long branch with leaves at the end, hold it between their legs and run around, pretending to be horses. Another adventure was to nail a lard pail on a stick and pretend it was their car. 

 One summer day, the kids were at the lake, and their oldest brother told them to play "Dead Man's Float." After some time, the girls noticed an itchy rash develop on their bodies and went home to find relief. They couldn't find anything except their mother's pond face powder. Hoping that would help, they covered their bodies with it. Their Mom was walking into the house from the garden and started to sniff, noticing an overwhelming smell of her face powder. When she got into the cabin, she gasped, seeing that the girls were covered in it.

 The sisters, still called bosom pals, have since moved on from those days and created their own lives with their families. They don't live far away from their family homestead or each other. When they get together, they love to reminisce about a simpler time when family and community were everything…

Ilene married Walter Lizotte; they have five children, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

Connie married Lindy Paul; they have four Children, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.