Raoul Vachon

Other Names: Joseph Fernand Raoul Vachon

Comments: Raoul was born in 1925 in the humble family home in Weedon, Wolfe County. In 1939, the family moved to L'Ange-Gardien, Rouville ounty, where Ovila was to manage a farm in the St-Charles range. At the age of 18, he began to work winters cutting timber in the lumber camps in Ontario. Raoul bought an old army truck in the winter of 1945 and began a snow plowing business. The next winter, he was offered a good price for the equipment and sold out. He bought a small farm in the Casimir range of L'Ange-Gardien. His parents and family lived with him from 1945 to 1949. In 1947, he returned to Ovila's farm in Weedon to help harvest lumber. In 1948, he was working on the farm in L'Ange-Gardien and helping out at a saw mill in Waterloo. He suffered an accident while trying to crank start an old army truck. The backlash damaged the wrist of his left hand. He married Therese Blais of Lingwick in 1949 and the moved back to hi farm in L'Ange-Gardien. They sold the farm in 1950 and moved to Lingwick. Raoul and Therese bought a farm in the Montagne Rouge range of Lingwick. They raised cattle for milk and for meat. They lived here from 1952 to 1979. During this time, he performed many jobs, including the selling of saws to lumber yards, maintaining equipment, transporting goods in his truck, and working in tobacco sheds. In 1979, he sold his livestock and turned the farm into a saw mill. There was also a time when Therese went to work as a teacher and Raoul had to take care of the children.
Therese passed away after a long illness in 1988. Raoul married Mariette Bergeron and they were lucky enough to be able to spend their winters in Florida. That property has since been sold and they spend the year in Stratford.

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