Mahone Bay Old School_A Life and Times_Bob Sayer

annual school budgets and the financial reports at each monthly meeting. His minutes
are beautifully written, concise and detailed with sub headings in the margin. The
finances were well managed.
• He was responsible for writing all the board’s letters, negotiating with the
county board and the provincial Department, and the various school suppliers, and
contractors for repairs and maintenance. He knew the price of a ton of coal and a load
of shingles
• He negotiated the loans from the Daurie family, the purchase of the school field,
teacher contracts, and himself made two loans to the board: In January 1941 he
loaned $600 at 5 % for the purchase and installation of copper tanks for the water
system. After spending an initial $200, the tanks proved defective, he made a second
loan of $100 at 5% for adequate tanks.
Photos below of O.S. Joudrey in his car [later in age he gave up driving]. Photo:
Courtesy, his granddaughter, Suzanne Riowerz. His grandson, Billy Burgoyne, is a
long-time Mahone Bay resident and business man.
His influence was everywhere. His pride in the achievements of the school and the
progress of the town are reflected in his letters and his annual reports. His daughter
Kathleen [“Kas”] was a member of the class of ’31, the first to have a formal graduation
service.
His grandchildren, Suzanne Burgoyne-Riowerz and Billy Burgoyne and people like
Betty Walsh, remember him as “a real old fashioned gentleman:” courteous, formal,
smart in appearance, frugal, well organized, with a sense of proper time and place.
Before his retirement, Betty Walsh remembers him walking to and from the town
office with the family bulldog, “Snooty,” who growled at everybody entering the
office.
The pillars of his life were family, church and community. For 43 years he was a member
of Charity Lodge; he was a Grand Steward of Masons of Nova Scotia; a long time
member and secretary of the I.O.O.F. As a “Charter Member” of the Mahone Bay Fire
Department, he was treasurer for over 35 years.
He was a member of St. James Church and sang in the choir for 60 years. He served
as a Parish Treasurer and was a delegate to Diocesan Synod for many years. After he
retired in 1949, he served as Justice of the Peace until shortly before his death.
He was also a historian, writing a Condensed History of Saint James Parish, based on
parish records. He and Hilda Burgoyne worked on a local history.
There is memorial window in the Anglican Parish Church in memory of Mr. and Mrs.
Joudrey.
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