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Note: She recounted much of the information about the Sproule family. She was born on Erie St. in Kingsville and grew up in Walkerville, Ontario, now part of Windsor and later attended the University of Toronto. She first met her future husband, Murray, at a big party in Windsor. Her sister Carol was friends with Murray's sister Eleanor. In their courtship, they sometimes went to the Ford Sunday Show in Detroit. Popular dance songs of the time included, "Apple for my Teacher" and "Small Fry". Her mother wanted her wedding to be on a Wednesday. Because Murray was in the armed forces, they could not get married across the border in Detroit at the Evans' house, as they would have liked. The weddings were all booked for Walkerville, so they looked elsewhere and happened to find an opening in Kingsville, coincidentally Betty's town of birth, where she lived for less than a year. Based on an assessment of her genealogy, she and her siblings would be approximately the following ethnically: Scottish 5/16, English 3/16, Scots-Irish 4/16, English/Welsh-Irish 4/16, which would be Scottish 9/16 and English 7/16 subsuming the Irish part.
Her obituary, published in The Ottawa Citizen from October 31 to November 1, 2012:
REID, Marjorie Elizabeth (Betty)
Marjorie Elizabeth (Betty) Reid, age 97, died peacefully in Owen Sound, Ontario on October 30, 2012. Born to Dr. Frederick William and Lulu Isabel (Sproule) Evans in Walkerville [sic - Kingsville], Ontario, 1915. In 1941 she married T.J. Murray Reid, who died in 1994. They had four boys: David (Nancy) of Calgary, Cameron (Amanda) of Calgary, Douglas (Heather) of Meaford, Ontario, and Andrew (Carol) of Findlay, Ohio. Betty is also survived by her sister Carol Schrashun (Al) of Northbrook, Illinois. Betty was predeceased by two siblings, 1st. Lt. Cameron Evans (1944) and Barbara Odell (2006). After graduating in modern languages from University College, University of Toronto in 1937, she taught at Walkerville Collegiate. During World War II when Murray was a flight instructor in the RCAF, the couple lived in Aylmer, St. Thomas and Kingston. After the war, when Murray was in the advertising business, they moved to Toronto and then to the Town of Mount Royal before settling in Ottawa. The family enjoyed many summers at Oakwood Park on Lake Huron. In the Town of Mount Royal, Betty was an enthusiastic member of the I.O.D.E., including serving as Regent, and the TMR Dance Club, and in Ottawa she attended Little Theatre and Rideau Park United Church. She was an avid traveller - visiting five continents - a snowshoer, knitter and seamstress, reader, bridge player and capable homemaker. She was renowned for her homemade cakes and pies, her staunch defense of "the King's English," her memory for family history, her determination in learning to drive at age 65, and her Depression-era practicality. Betty's family attributes her longevity to her daily crosswords and walks, frequent bridge games and pre-dinner martini(s). Betty was proud of her nine grandchildren, all university graduates: Lindsay of Toronto, Graeme of Calgary, Christopher (Samantha) of Nelson, B.C., Mandy of Vancouver, Richard of Waterloo, Michael of Clarksburg, Ontario, Jamie of London, U.K., Julia of Columbus, Ohio and Stuart of New York, New York. In addition, she is survived by six great- grandchildren. The family wishes to thank the staff at Central Place in Owen Sound for their kind, compassionate care and assistance during Betty's last few months. Betty will be buried in Windsor, Ontario and a private memorial service is planned for the spring of 2013. Memorial donations in her memory may be made to The Salvation Army.
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