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RCMP honours Frances Boulton

Frances Boulton was presented with the RCMP's 'Second Person' award at Joseph Creek Village Thursday, April 14
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Frances Boulton

Barry Coulter

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police paid tribute to a remarkable woman and her remarkable life on Thursday, April 14.

Frances Boulton was presented with the RCMP's 'Second Person' award at Joseph Creek Village Thursday afternoon, with members of her family, Mounties, media and various dignitaries in attendance.

Mrs. Boulton celebrated her 100th birthday in January.

The Second Person Award is given to the spouses of those RCMP members who served in days gone by  in small detachments, where they helped out by answering detachment phones, cooking meals for prisoners, guarding prisoners, searching female prisoners, sometimes even backing up their spouses on call!

They often used their homes as a hotel for visiting senior officers, court Judges, doctors and nurses to whom they also provided meals and entertainment.  All of this done in very remote locations with inadequate housing and growing families of their own to which they had to tend.

Generally, these people were not compensated financially; back then the responsibility came with being married to RCMP members, who were stationed in various areas of the country, each location bringing their own unique challenges.

The award was started by the RCMP Veterans Association.

Frances was married to Phillip Boulton, who passed away many years ago. Phillip Boulton was a Staff Sergeant when he retired from the RCMP in 1968.  While her husband arrested the "bad guys" Frances would assist him in any way she could.

While living in Fort Nelson, the Boulton's called the RCMP Office home. They served in places like Fort Nelson, Burns Lake, Dawson Creek, Port Haney and the East Kootenay.

Frances' family was able to attend the ceremony Thursday where Frances was given an RCMP broach, and a certificate thanking her for her service to the RCMP.

Officers from the Cranbrook and Kimberley Detachments also came out to thank her.

"It was important for the membership to come to be there out of respect for the service Frances provided to the RCMP as a dedicated spouse of a member and to recognize her contribution to the overall culture and traditions of the RCMP as much of that has been lost with each generation that passes on," the RCMP said in a statement.  "We need to remember where our core values were cultivated and nurtured as they are what many of us aspire to meet today,"