Dorothy May Guilbault

Dorothy May Guilbault (nee Muir) was born March 8th, 1925, and passed peacefully on July 8th, 2023. Born to parents Mary and Thomas Muir, she grew up on the family farm near Rosebud, SK, with her older brother Bob and younger brother Harvey. Dorothy enjoyed spending time with the farm animals, and always had a deep love for nature. Everyone had a job to do, and Dorothy filled the role of family bread baker from a young age. The care that went into her bread and baked goods was a gift enjoyed by her family all throughout her life.

As a young adult, Dorothy waitressed at the Gem Café in Wadena. Later, she moved to Kelvington, which would become her home for the rest of her life. She worked at the hospital, and then at the Bakery for Louis and Mrs. Young, where her interest in baking developed further. During this time, she met Lucien Guilbault. They were married in 1958, and had three children, Gisele, Sinda, and Marcel. Once her children were a little older, Dorothy returned to work, now at the Kelvington Post Office. She also obtained both her Grade 12 and her Driver’s License during this time. An entrepreneur at heart, she began selling Fuller Brush and Watkins, the latter of which she continued with until the time of her passing. Her children fondly remember helping Dorothy unpack and organize her orders, as well as accompanying her on her sales calls, while dreaming of larger enterprises.

Dorothy retired from the Post Office in 1995. In her retirement years, she was busier than ever. Her beautiful garden bloomed with more flowers every year. Her vegetable patch remained prolific, with much of its bounty being carefully preserved in her well-known jams, jellies, and pickles. Each year she would enter her preserves, along with an assortment of baking, sewing, and needlework, in the Kelvington Fair, winning many prizes for her exceptional work. Her fruitcake was a Christmas tradition with both family and her many regular customers.

Dorothy took the greatest joy in her family. She gifted us with knowledge, wisdom, and love. We will always be grateful for the many meaningful conversations over the years, and her keen interest and insight in all aspects of our lives. Her grandchildren remember being guided by Grandma to knead a little piece of bread dough, proudly baked in a sardine can, and enjoyed while still warm. Her garden was a place of endless wonder where we could sow seeds, pick berries, and dig root vegetables fresh from the earth, usually accompanied by her beloved sidekick, Peppi the cat. She taught us to always keep our eyes and ears open to the world and its workings, be them big or small. Many of her grandchildren have a deep interest in these simple pleasures to this day, including Grandma’s tradition of entering exhibits in the Fair.

Dorothy was pre-deceased by her parents, Thomas and Mary Muir; brothers, Bob and Harvey Muir; nephew, Tom Muir; sister-in-law, Florence Muir; son-in-law, John Stoik; and in 2021, her husband, Lucien Guilbault.

 Dorothy is survived and lovingly remembered by Gisele and family, Cara and son Trayce, and Casey; Sinda and family, Jesse (Dani) and son Arthur, Brendan, and Adrianna; Marcel (Sheila) and family, Justina and Karina; nieces Brenda and Pauline Muir, as well as her many friends and neighbors.