Local Florence Reid Celebrates a Considerable Birthday This Christmas Eve

Florence Reid was born on Christmas Eve in Brooklet, Quebec, to parents Alfred and Margaret Farquhar in 1908. Over the holidays, Reid will celebrate a notable birthday, as she will be turning 107.

After marrying her husband Charles Reid on September 14th, 1935—a marriage that lasted 64 years until Charles passed away in 1999—she became the proud mother of four children, Stanley, Alison, Heather, Kathleen. Reid loved to cook for her family, keeping a large garden in which she often experimented, growing unusual fruits, vegetables and flowers. She was also an experienced traveller, making over five voyages to Scotland with her husband—not to mention the countless other countries they visited together. These days, Florence Reid resides at Centre d'Accueil.

The long time Hinchinbrooke resident pursued an education in teaching after she graduated from MacDonald College in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, teaching primary classes at Heritage Elementary (formerly known as Huntingdon Academy), for eight years. She was highly involved in the lives of her pupils, often referring to specific students long after she had ceased to teach. According to her daughter, Alison Reid Murray, “My mother was a born teacher, explaining things to us in a school-like way. She loved to learn new things, taking on new challenges whenever she could. For instance, I remember how she learned the art of microwave cooking when the ovens first made their appearance.” Reid even taught bridge to the Seniors group at the Legion for many years.

An active member of the Women’s Institute, Reid was especially lively in her community, participating in many groups and activities, teaching Sunday School and even playing a part in the founding of Huntingdon’s Little Green Library (where she continued to work until she was well into her nineties), where she indulged her love of reading, often buried in three books at a time. She experienced much in her lifetime, watching the world change around her with a gracious sense of humour. Her cousin, Darlene Steele, recounted an amusing story about how Reid felt about cars. “In 1915, Florence was involved in a Christmas concert, and took her family’s car, instead of her horse, which was her go-to form of transportation. Of course, the car broke down, and she had to go back and get the horse anyway.” Reid’s intelligence and sense of humour have carried her well into her senior years—even though her days of riding horses into town are a thing of the past.

From everyone here at The Gleaner, we’d like to wish you a very Happy Birthday Mrs. Florence Reid!