Betty Menzies

Obituary of Betty Menzies

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Betty Helena Mary (Dodds) Menzies

Betty was born on January 2, 1932 in her Great-Uncle Carl's house, delivered by her Great-Aunt Lily in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, arriving at 7:20 am on a bright cold day to parents Stewart Thomson Dodds and Frances Sophia (Seatter) Dodds. Six days after her birth brothers Robert and George and sister Anne named her Betty with her mom picking Helena and her dad picking Mary. She was called Betty and occasionally Betty Boop which led to collecting Betty Boop figurines.

Nine days after her birth she went to the farm which her maternal grandfather had homesteaded in 1883, 4 miles northwest of York Settlement, Northwest Territories, now Yorkton Saskatchewan. Her family and maternal grandparents lived in a two story farmhouse. Betty enjoyed sitting on her Mom's lap after dinner listening to stories and having a few sips of tea. She spent many hours with her maternal grandmother learning to crochet and knit as they 'babysat' each other. Her mother taught her to sew, read music and play the organ. She enjoyed scrapbooking and playing board games and listening to the radio. She loved times spent with her siblings. On the farm there were always cats and a dog, horses and chickens. Betty had a favourite doll that her grandmother gave her and in her last year she enjoyed talking to that doll. She also loved her wicker doll carriage and on her 65th. Birthday, Len gave her another wicker doll carriage to hold her dolls. She collected postmarks, buttons, miniature things, and later with travel, spoons.

Betty went to school four miles from the farm at the Orkney School which her maternal grandmother's brothers had helped build. She remembered going in the sleigh behind the horses with rocks warmed in the oven at her feet. For Grade 6 to 12 she moved in to Yorkton living with the Chillman's; going to the farm on weekends. She liked school and really liked that in Yorkton she could get up at 8am rather than 6:30 am to go to school as she was not a morning person. Betty paid close attention to WWII news as her brother George was in the Navy. Christmas was Betty's favourite holiday. She especially enjoyed the Christmas Concerts each year. Betty enjoyed plays and musicals. In High School at a concert she danced the Highland Fling and her mom made her a kilt using the Menzies tartan! She continued to enjoy the concerts of her children and grandchildren.

Betty went to the University of Saskatchewan graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics, she lived in Residence and made many close friends. After all their children were grown, her Home Economic classmates and spouses would gather for reunions every two years. We also had Dodds' reunions every two years. Betty took a teaching job at the Swift Current Collegiate Institute in Swift Current in 1954. She started curling and caught the eye of a recently graduated optometrist. Leonard Menzies called her to go on a blind date and they married August 20th, 1956. Len and Betty enjoyed curling, camping, collecting, going to shows and watching sports. In 1960 Betty designed the house they had built on Hillcrest Drive. In1963 Len and Betty adopted Craig, in 1964 Heather was born, in 1966 Stacey was adopted and in 1967 adopted brothers Bruce and David. From no children to five children in 4 ½ years was a huge learning curve. Betty became a full-time mom and a great mom she was.

Len and Betty bought a cabin at Lac Pelletier in 1969 and summers were spent there, even though Betty did not like water! Betty and Len had many good holidays through the years and the family also traveled quite a bit. Sadly, in 1981 Stacey was murdered and in 1992 David died. Also in 1981 Betty and Len started welcoming their10 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Betty remembered meeting each one of them and the thrill of the first kiss or hug. In 1997 and 2012 Betty had breast cancer, unfortunately it was cancer that finally took her.

Betty enjoyed gardening, crocheting, traveling, journaling and coffee. In 2017 Betty started her slow decline into total dementia. Len cared for her until the very end of 2023 when she moved into Cypress House where she died peacefully February 3rd, 2025 with family by her side.

Betty was predeceased by her daughter Stacey and son David, parents Stewart and

Frances (Seatter) Dodds, siblings Robert (Eva), George (Muriel) and Anne Turlock (Walter).

She is survived by her husband of 68 years Leonard, sons Bruce (Eva Resovsky) of Calgary and Craig (Teresa) of Kingston and daughter Heather (Greg) Campbell of Swift Current; grandchildren Shauna Poitras (Charlie Brown) of Red Deer, Tania Mohr of Nanaimo, Trisha Mohr (Richard Hornez Jr) of Nanaimo, Marcus Menzies (Sydney) of Calgary, Emily Menzies (Motoki Hirata) of Calgary, Nicholas Menzies (Sandi Yen) of Oxford UK, Samantha Chapman (Justin) of Kingston, Jacqueline Menzies of Inuvik, Tara Campbell of Perth, Sean Campbell of Regina; great grandchildren Thomas Klassen-Mohr and Bodhi Mohr, Tayden, Jacob and Addison Mohr, Eloise Menzies and Theo, Maeve and Felix Chapman. Brother-In-Law Clifford (Shirley) Menzies, Sister-In-Law Shirley Furze and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the staff at Cypress House, especially the caring individuals from House One and Dr. Hein DeKlerk for his loving care over the years.

 

A Celebration of Life Service for Betty will be on May 17, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at Parkside Memorial Funeral Home, Swift Current, SK.

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Betty Menzies

In Loving Memory

Betty Menzies

1932 - 2025

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