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The Tom Fleury Story
As told by Eric Nystrom
Tom Fleury was born around 1864. He was a teenager living in Batoche in 1885. The family was among those who fled to the
States. While they were living in Montana, the army picked up the children in their community, including Tom, and shipped
them of in a box-car to a residential school in Oregon. He met Mary Ellen St. Denis there. The two of them stole a horse
and escaped together, fleeing all the way to northern Alberta.
They lived in the Lac La Biche area for some time, and began their family while living in the area. During the 1918 influenza
epidemic, Tom was hired to dispose of bodies. He visited all the remote camps, communities and settlements, assisting the
communities in removing the bodies from the homes. When he left for this arduous duty, he sent his wife and their children
to live in a remote area. They stayed there, and he stayed away until he was sure he would not take the flu to them. He
was away about four years, and there is a four-year gap in the ages of their children.
They moved down to live near Rocky Mountain House sometime later. Tom interpreted for the band when the Sunchild-OChiese
band was given a reserve in 1945. The old chief Yellow Face wanted to include the interpreters in the bandlist as a thank
you, but younger council members objected. They offered to include Tom and his wife on the list, but to leave off the children.
Tom and Mary Ellen both objected to that. In the end, they withdrew from the band list, although they were living in the
community.
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A researcher is looking for information on the Mirasty/Merasty/Meraste family in Manitoba in the mid 19th century and in the
Cumberland House area at the end of that century.
Contact the Editor to forward information.
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