Cecille May Wood

Cecille May Wood

Cecille May Wood, born September 1912, came from a large family, or large according to present day, maybe not so big in those days. There were thirteen children in her family. She was raised in Manigotagan, Manitoba. Her father was John Wood and her mother was Mildred Bruce. 

Cecille became a cookie in a lumber camp, and in her teens moved to Hecla Island. In 1931, she married Páll Pálson, and had three children with Páll. One being my dad, Johann Paulson.

In 1940, Cecille left Hecla, and she and my dad (age 9) went to Sipiwesk Lake on the Nelson River, about 25 miles north east of Wabowden to live. Dad noted, "that there was no more schooling that term, but in the autumn, I was in a correspondence course in grade three. Mom was a tough tutor to me". 

That may have been because when Cecille was younger, she had been promised $5.00 by her grandfather if she passed her grade seven year. She passed both seven and eight in the same year, and because there was no high school available, that was the end of her formal schooling at the age of thirteen. 



Páll Pálson and Cecille Wood (1931).

Dad noted that "The lessons came at regular intervals by mail and a test in each subject had to be written every two weeks, and forwarded to Winnipeg for correction. His Mom's assessment of his progress was quite severe, and the individual in charge at the correspondence branch thought that she was a bit harsh". He completed the year in the top 10% in the province and was enrolled again in a correspondence course for grade four in the fall of 1942.

Later, Cecille remarried to Gudjon Gudjonsson (John Johnson), and had two additional children. At some point, they moved from Sipiwesk Lake to Thicket Portage. There she served as post mistress of Thicket Portage for many years as well as co-owner of Johnson's General Store. She took an active interest in the life of the community and the well-being of her family.  In 1971, her and John retired and moved to Winnipeg.

Cecille was a hard working, independent woman, with a wide variety of interests and skills. She had a sense of adventure which she indulged through travel in her later years. When she was 73, she participated in a canoe trip with my dad, down the Beren's River.

Cecille passed away in Winnipeg, Manitoba March 2001.