I'm sure we have a photo somewhere!

Philomene Butruille

Trochu

Unknown-1959

Description

Life and Work

Philomene Butruille left her footprint as a woman of influence in early Trochu. Sister of Joseph Devilder, Philomene was married to Jean Butruille and together they came to Trochu along with their five children, a cook, a maid, and a governess. They built to trochu Valley General Store in 1907 and ran it together, with Philomene doing general labour and also working in management. They returned to France in 1910 where her husband died in 1918. Philomene came back to Trochu and married Edgar Papillard, the new owner of the General Store, in 1920. The store had become the largest establishment of its kind between Calgary and Edmonton and operated until it was destroyed by fire in 1922. Philomene and her husband returned to France in 1930 where she died in 1959.