Frances Audrey Bohart Woodruff
My Mom
 

Frances Audrey Bohart
Born: 04 February 1928 in Vancouver, BC, CA
Mom was the third youngest of 9 children born to Pearl Davison and Thomas Henry Bohart.
Married: Bernard John Woodruff 05 May, 1951 in Ottawa, ON, CA
Died: 20 August 2003 after a valiant battle with breast cancer, in Orleans, ON, CA

Mom is 6 months old in this picture.

Somehow this quote is fitting to describe what I hope to accomplish through this biography of my mother.

The Dash in Between:

"I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning to the end. He noted that first came her date of birth and spoke the following date with tears, But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years. For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth, and now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth. For it matters not how much we own…the cars, the house, the cash, what matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash. So think about this long and hard. Are there things you’d like to change? For you never know how much time is left, that can still be arranged. If we could just slow down enough to consider what’s true and real, and always try to understand the way other people feel, and be less quick to anger and show appreciation more, and love the people in our lives like we’ve never done before; if we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile, we will remember that this special dash might only last a little while. So when your eulogy’s being read, with your life’s actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash?"

(Author unknown) This has been circulated through e-mails within the past year or two.

       When mom passed away, my son Russ conducted the funeral. He asked his brothers if they would like to say a few words. When the time came Rich and Melody (his wife) and Alex stood up, they put on scarves, hats, fleece pullovers that my mom had made for them. This was part of her dash to them. Their actions more than the words they said told us how much she meant to them.
      Another part of her dash is her artwork.  Pictures of her art and other family pictures can be viewed at: http://community.webshots.com/user/bwoodruff26
I am sure these pictures will be around for many generations.  Another part of Mom's dash is seen in her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

       This is my tribute to Mom. I somehow hope to capture part of her life.

This picture was taken in 1934. In the back row are Pearl, and Unknown (possibly Harry). Next row: Unknown (Possibly Alice), Thomas, Robert Bohart, Helen, Harry Young. Helen is holding Philip. In the front are: Jewel, Audrey with Darrel in the middle.

Jewel, Darrel, and Audrey Vancouver, BC

During the Depression Thomas and Pearl moved to Chilliwack. During this time they owned a slaughter house. One fall during this time money was very scarce, all Mom wanted for Christmas was a pair of red knitting needles. Somehow her mother (Pearl) found a pair of needles. Mom learned to knit, making for herself a sweater which she proudly wore to school when she was 5 years old. This determination to learn remained with Mom for her whole life. Over the years Mom would reminisce fondly of those years she lived in Chilliwack, when their playmates were the baby pigs, mice (until one day they decapitated one by closing the lid of the can the mouse was in) and other wild life.

More pictures from Mom’s childhood:

Darrel, Audrey, Thomas, and Jewel, at the beach

Audrey, Jewel, Pearl, and Darrel

Jewel, Audrey, and Darrel

Jewel, Audrey, Darrel
Christmas 1944.

After the depression Mom’s family moved back to Vancouver. This is the house they lived in.

Mom loved to sing, she was in various choirs during her school years. Her father, Thomas Bohart, would take her to various concerts and operas. One she talked about with fondness was listening to Faust. Mom had a radio in her sewing room when they lived in Hammond, Ontario. I can remember visiting her when she was sewing (in the 1990’s), listening to the opera and she was transported back in time to these early years.

More pictures of Mom from her school years in Vancouver.

Audrey graduated from high school. She was determined to go to university so she worked in a candy factory to save up enough money to attend grade 13; which was at that time equivalent to the 1^st year of university.

After graduating from high school in 1947, Mom climbed aboard a train headed to Ottawa, Ontario. Her sister, Alice was already living in Ottawa. One of the stories Mom told with eyes full of sparkles, was of her trip through the tunnels in the Rocky Mountains. The train she was on was pulled by a Steam engine. She wanted to see what it was like to ride through the tunnel from the observation platform. Mom stood from one end of the tunnel to the other, then went inside. To her surprise, when she looked into the mirror her face was completely covered with soot. All she could see was two white eyes peering out at the reflection in the mirror. Boy, she must have had fun! Audrey enrolled in the nursing program at the Ottawa Civic Hospital Sep 4, 1947.

Audrey wearing her pink striper uniform 1947 – 50 at the Ottawa Civic Hospital.

Olivia Woodruff was one of Audrey’s patients at the Civic Hospital. She was a very special lady whom Audrey came to love. One day, Olivia asked Audrey to come to her room; she introduced her son John to Audrey. The rest shall we say is history.

Olivia died 23 May, 1949.
 

Frances Audrey Bohart Graduated from the Ottawa Civic Hospital School of Nursing in 1950.

John Woodruff and Audrey Bohart on her graduation day, 1950.

Each graduate carried a single long stem red rose. When mom passed away a single long stem red rose was sent to the funeral home in memory of the class of 50 B.

Frances Audrey Bohart, RN 1950.

Pearl and Thomas Bohart came east from Vancouver to celebrate Audrey’s graduation from the Ottawa Civic Hospital. Her sister, Alice is standing to the left of their parents with Mom on the right.

Audrey Bohart and John Woodruff were married on the 5 of May 1951, Parkdale United Church, Ottawa, Ontario.

The wedding party: starting from the left, Faye Burwash, Frank Woodruff (brother), Audrey and John Woodruff.

John and Audrey moved to Clinton, where Dad was posted.

Cynthia was born in February, 1953. John and Audrey were living in Trenton, Ontario at the time. About 6 months later they moved to Creemore where Graham (1954) and Valerie (1956) were born.
From left to right: Val, Cindy and Graham 1957, Creemore, Ontario.
Photo on the left: Cindy and Graham in 1956, Creemore, Ontario.

Christopher joined the family in 1959. We were living in Chatham New Brunswick at the time. From left to right: Graham, Val, Chris, and Cindy.

The 1961 Christmas picture was taken in the Longy PMQ. In the spring of the previous year the family moved to Number 1 Fighter Wing, Marville, France where we had the privilege of living for the next four years. We lived in France and were able to travel to neighbouring counties. What fun it was to explore the various castles, ruins, zoos and parks.

Dad was posted to St Hubert on the south shore of Montreal in 1964. Mom returned to work as a nurse in a hospital in St Hyacinthe under a training program to obtain her Quebec Nursing License. She assimilated quickly as she had taken French lessons in France. This began her second career in nursing. She continued to work in North Bay, and Ottawa as a nurse in the Emergency departments and eventually transferred to the intensive care units at the General and Montfort Hospital.

Ever since I can remember Mom has made her own clothes as well as clothes for her children. She was an exquisite seamstress. In the 1990’s she took many courses at Richard Robinson’s in Ottawa, Ontario. In the picture at the left Mom is holding the coat she made for one of the courses. She is also, wearing the suit she made as part of the same course. I have never seen such a beautiful smile on her face. She must have felt she had really accomplished something! Part of her training required sketching, drawing and painting for clothing catalogues. This led to further art instruction and as you will see emerged as an accomplished artist in pastels and oils.

Examples:

Click on the following link to view more of Audrey's paintings and other pictures of the family.

In 1998 Audrey was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought a valiant fight for 4 years. August 20, 2003 she slipped away during the early hours of the morning. She loved to see the sun rise in the mornings; it was her favourite time of the day. She was surrounded by her husband, sons and daughters, and grandchildren during her last few weeks. I know I still miss her smile and hug as I walk through the door of her home. She left behind a legacy from her nursing career; more so is the legacy she leaves to her 4 children, 9 grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.

This past year my dad has been diagnosed with cancer. When he was waiting for a biopsy, one of the nurses who looked after dad was a young graduate nurse when she worked with Mom. This would have been 25 plus years ago. We felt as though she was still looking out for us through those she mentored so many years ago.

 
This page was updated September 21, 2005.