Grellier, Raoul Augustine (Roy)

Raoul Augustine (Roy) Grellier was born on 28 June 1898 in Mistassini, Quebec. His parents were Constant Grellier and Eugenie Rossignol who had married on 1 November 1885 in France. They gave birth to their first child, daughter Jeannine, in 1887 in France. Constant was found on the passenger list of the vessel the State of Nebraska that arrived in Halifax on 9 April 1893. He was listed as a farmer on his way to Montreal. At some point after the birth of Roy the family moved to Chapleau in northern Ontario where they gave birth to son Roger Constant in October of 1908. It is likely that the family had lived in Wawa, Ontario before moving to Chapleau as daughter Jeannine married Wilfred Verville in February of 1905 in Wawa. It appears that Constant found work as a contractor/builder. In 1911 Constant made a trip back to France, returning to Chapleau via New York, arriving on the 6th of May aboard the Caroline.

According to a later passenger list, Roy had left Canada for France in June of 1912. His obituary stated that he served in France during WW1, details unknown. On 28 February 1922, in Paris, he married Yvonne Marguerite Pascaud. Born on 22 July 1901 in Déols, Yvonne was the daughter of Jean Baptiste Pascaud, a blacksmith, and Eualie Gau. Roy and Yvonne returned to Canada aboard the Metagama that left Liverpool, England on 22 February 1924. Their destination was given as Summerset (Somerset) in Manitoba where Jeannine and her family were living. On 6 September 1924, likely in St Boniface, Roy and Yvonne gave birth to daughter Rita.

Roy, Yvonne, and Rita travelled to France in the fall of 1931, arriving back in Canada aboard the Alaunia in March of 1932. By then the family was living in Minaki in northwestern Ontario where Roy was working as an electrician. He was a member of St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Winnipeg and the Redditt Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Roy died on 13 October 1969 at his home in Minaki. At the time of his death he was survived by his wife Yvonne and daughter Mrs Rita Barr of Winnipeg. Yvonne died on 14 June 1972. Roy and Yvonne are interred in the Lake of the Woods Cemetery in Kenora.

by Judy Stockham