Raymond was born on June 27, 1918 in Mille Vaches, Saguenay, Quebec. He was the 6th child born of Thomas Louis Thibault and and Maria Savard. The family moved to Alberta in 1920, settling near Rosemary. In 1925, they then moved to the Donnelly area.
R.J. was 22 when he enlisted in 1940. He was a mechanic and was posted in Italy and Sicily. His military career ended when a truck, which was backing to a disabled tank, rolled onto a mine. R.J. spent a long time hospital and ended up with a missing eye.
Following, Raymond returned to the farm. He met Armande Angeline Sirois who was born August 14, 1925 at Wotton, Quebec to Oscar Sirois and Eva Cote. She had come west with her parents at the age of 3 and they lived north of Donnelly.
Raymond and Armande married in January, 1947 and they raised 15 children: Rene, Robert, Leo, Louis, Jacques, Michel, Gerard, Joceline, Mariette, Pauline, Raymonde, Eveline, Yvette, Lise, and Francoise. After many years in Donnelly, R.J. moved his family to Peace River, and then when he retired, he and his wife moved to McLennan.
R.J. was a hard-working mechanic but he also taught his sons many skills in wood-working, electricity, machinery and vehicle repair. He was very involved in various organizations: l’ACFA, the Smoky River Genealogical Society, the Golden Age Club and the Legion. He was an original charter member of the McLennan legion in April, 1945.
Raymond passed away on May 18, 2000 at the age of 21 years. Armande passed away on April 28, 1994 at the age of 68.
Source: Community Book Index – Trails and Rails North Vol. I & II