Kindersley resident honoured at 100th birthday celebration
By Joan Janzen
Marj Boyd's family held an early birthday celebration in her honour on Saturday, August 12. Marj was born on September 13, 1923, and will have lived ten decades on that date in 2023.
Her son Rick Boyd and daughter-in-law Donna held the celebration at their home in Kindersley. They held the event a month prior to Marj's actual birthday, assuming the weather would be more cooperative, but it wasn't. It was definitely an exciting party with thunder and a display of lightning equivalent to a New Year's celebration. Fifty guests rushing into the Boyd home proved to be somewhat crowded, but after the storm subsided, the guests headed back outdoors and enjoyed visiting around a fire.
Marj Boyd of Kindersley was the honoured guest at a party to celebrate her upcoming Sept. 13th birthday when she will reach her 100th year. Photo: (submitted)
All seven of Marj's grandkids were present for the party. She also has thirteen great-grandkids and two great-great grandkids. Marj's only surviving sibling - her 88-year-old sister was also able to attend the celebration. "It was more like a family reunion," her son Rick said.
Marj had three sisters and one brother and was born on a farm near Sonningdale, Sask., northwest of Biggar. Along with her siblings, she walked three miles to attend a nearby country school. She loved playing ball and still enjoys watching baseball on TV.
"My dad came from England, and he was no farmer," she said. "My mom's grandfather had land, and my dad had to learn how to farm." Her grandparents remained in England.
During the era of the 1930s Marj remembered walking home from school in a dust storm and Russian thistles stacked up along the fences. Her memories of the Christmas season included Christmas concerts, receiving a gift from her teacher, and receiving oranges from her parents.
As the war years approached, her brother joined the army and went to England. He got married in England, and when he returned to Canada, he and his new bride moved to Toronto.
After completing her Grade 12, Marj looked after people's children in their homes and then took the train to Kindersley, where she continued to provide childcare. It was there that she met Jack Boyd. "I stayed with the Holland family, and Jack was a neighbour of theirs," she explained.
After they got married, they lived on a farm about ten miles north of Kindersley. They had three sons and lost infant twin sons six months into Marj's pregnancy. She and her family were also saddened by the loss of her son last year.
"We moved from the farm to Coleville when the children were young and spent a year there," she explained. At that time, Jack was building houses for the oil companies, when the oil industry was booming. After that they moved to Kindersley and farmed from town. When their sons grew up and moved to various locations, Marj and Jack moved to Red Deer where they lived for thirty years. After her husband's passing, Marj moved to Kindersley seventeen years ago.
Marj lives independently in her home and enjoyed looking after her yard until she fell and broke her hip. "She was sent to Saskatoon to get her hip replaced, and had the other one done a couple of years later," Rick explained. "She was 96 when she got her second hip replaced. It was amazing that she was able to have the surgery."
Now as she approaches her 100th year, Marj is very grateful she is able to enjoy going for walks. She enjoys listening to country music and watching curling, hockey and baseball on television. "I'm happy to be where my family is," she concluded.