BINGHAM – Camille J. Beaulieu of the north Maine woods near Clayton Lake, went to rest in peace on Monday, June 12, at the age of 89 years and four months at his daughter’s residence in Bingham, after a brief battle with cancer.

He was born in St. Francis, on Feb. 23, 1917, the son of the late Raymond and Zline (Dumond) Beaulieu. He was raised in Allagash Village up along the banks of the St. John River, where his youngest brother drowned at the base of the “Big Rapids.” They lived in camps and rustic log cabins in the area.

At the age of 11, relatives encouraged his family to move to a better and easier life in Augusta. They settled on Spring Road (across from Togus VA). The family lived on homegrown vegetables and farm animals, ate wild game and fish and made maple sugar every spring. The entire family worked the farm and later the mills and factories sending most of their money home.

Despite an eighth-grade education, he became a self-taught and educated man. He entered the Conservation Corps and World War II Ski Patrol and participated in the invasion of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. After the war, he worked at Churchill and Umsaskis Lake as a fire warden and a trapper.

He and his father, (who joined him later,) liked to hunt and chase fishers, (so-called black cats,) in all weather conditions in the northern Maine wilderness, sleeping in simple board or log camps whenever available or any makeshift shelter.

He could build or make anything with his ax and knives. Snowshoes, ax handles, canoe paddles, patching rubber and fiberglass and leatherwork stitching were his specialties. He recycled everything, respected all laws and was the ultimate conservationist.

He was an explorer, adventurer, master storyteller, canoe poler, fur trapper, fly fisherman, weatherman and history teacher. He had an excellent memory and always used common sense and self-taught limits. He was proud to be a Maine guide and taught everyone to follow all the state laws and regulations.

His many stories of his adventures along East Lake, Allagash and St. John Rivers including all their tributaries are legendary among sportsmen from all over the United States and the Province of Qubec. He especially enjoyed sharing stories of the Allagash Village and its people.

He was predeceased by his wife, Stella Kafel Dudley of Fall River, Mass. and Augusta. Married for only 10 years, she died at age 45, leaving him with four young children whom he raised alone on the remote Maine/Qubec border at Lac-Frontire, Canada, by cutting back on his trapline in order to be home every night. At that time, his children were 10, 9 and the twins were only 5. They were brought up on wild game, fiddlehead greens and fresh brook trout from the local lakes, streams and rivers.

He was a good father and provider and taught his children right from wrong. He was proud of their achievements and enjoyed visiting back and forth between them in later years. He was well-loved and respected by everyone who knew him and will be sadly missed by all.

His children were taught to speak English at home and they learned French in Qubec schools. They roamed both sides of the border and became fluent in both cultures. He settled on the U.S. border in Lac-Frontire, Qubec and was a U.S. mail carrier for 25 years, delivering mail from Lac-Frontire to Clayton Lake.

He is survived by his daughter, Marsha Lagasse and her husband, Albert, of Toronto, Ontario and Bingham; three sons, Barry Beaulieu of Lac-Frontire, P.Q., Jack Beaulieu and his companion, Carole (Breton), of Ste. Lucie, P.Q. and Pete Beaulieu and his wife, Raeline, of Charlestown, Ind.; a stepdaughter, Nancy Kalloch of Bingham; a stepson, Theron Dudley of Orient; five granddaughters, Tara and husband, Aaron Currier, Anya and Kristin Lagasse, Ashton and Bree Beaulieu; one grandson, Corey and wife, Ashleigh; a great-grandson, Zachary Currier; and many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents; his wife, Stella (Kafel) Beaulieu; six brothers, Albert, Onil, Roland, Albani, Patrick and Wilfrid Beaulieu; and two sisters, Catherine Armstrong and Olive Dub.