Henriette Beaudry

After a brief illness due to longstanding complications of diabetes, Henriette Beaudry of All Saints parish in Des Moines made a final Lenten sacrifice and surrendered herself to God on the morning of Ash Wednesday at Mercy Hospice in Johnston. As her body returns to dust, she completes her corporeal life as a devout and faithful Catholic.

The former Henriette Tetreault was born on April 16, 1923 in Springfield Massachusetts as the youngest of five daughters and two sons of Henri and Rose Tetreault (Morin). She grew up in a French-speaking family and attended Catholic schools in Springfield and later in Canada where she entered a Franciscan convent in preparation to take lifelong religious vows.

She ultimately chose life in the Catholic laity and left the convent to join the national WWII effort by working in a munitions factory and later worked in a candy store and a law office in Massachusetts and Connecticut. It was during this time that she met B.W. “Jerry” Beaudry of Des Moines by way of a Catholic pen pal club. After a brief correspondence, and with the blessing of her father, they were married on July 4th 1956 and settled in Des Moines where they remained together until Jerry’s passing on October 1st 1982.

Henriette and Jerry raised two sons in All Saints parish where she volunteered as a librarian, “lunch lady” and teacher. Henriette served her parish and her faith as a choir leader, lector and organist and was active in the home school association, faith renewal project and numerous charitable efforts. When her children began high school at Dowling Catholic, she returned to work at a real estate abstract company.

She loved music and sang prominently in choir from the age of eight until the last month of her life. Known by everyone as understated, humble and unfailingly kind, Henriette spoke four languages and never said a harsh word in any of them. She is survived by her two sons, Paul and Carl Beaudry and one grandson, Maxton Chance Beaudry as well as her sister Yvonne McGuire of Fort Myers Florida.

Services will be held on Monday March 14, 2011 at 10 a.m. at All Saints church 650 NE 52nd Ave Des Moines, IA 50313.

In lieu of flowers, donations should be made in Henriette’s name to All Saints parish or Mercy Hospice, 5820 Winwood Drive, Johnston, IA 50131-1821 (515) 643-6150.

www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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