Obituary of Aurelya Magdalene Reid

Aurelya was born on September 12, 1922, in Richardton North Dakota, the third of eleven children of Phillip and Barbara Messer. She had 5 brothers and 5 sisters. She grew up on a farm with several hundred acres where they raised cows, pigs, and chickens, and farmed fields of wheat and other grains. They also raised their own vegetables. She attended a one-room schoolhouse through the 8th grade, until family responsibility required that she help out with duties on the farm. She endured brutal North Dakota winters of deep and driving snow. This gave her reason to learn many skills including embroidery, quilting and sewing which she continued through her life. In December 1938 she formed and became president of the Jitterbug Club Number 33 in North Dakota of which her sisters and friends from the town were members. She continued to enjoy dancing all her life attending dances at the Knights of Columbus Hall 2813, St Peters Church and the once famous Casino Beach Dance Hall on Lake Worth.After growing of age she moved to Vacaville, California to help with the war effort where she worked in hospitals serving in various capacities. There she met Tom Reid at the local dance hall who would become her husband of 72 years. Tom brought her back to Fort Worth and they were married in 1946 at St Mary’s Catholic Church. They built their house on family property on Lake Worth where she loved to host the many gatherings and outdoor activities at their home and down by the lake. There was always plenty of food, enough for the kids to bring along an extra friend. She and Tom made sacrifices and sent all of their children to St Peter Catholic School. They were charter members of St Peters Church where she was involved in the Altar Society, and many church and school activities.She had four children, Barbara Reid-Ali, Camilla Reid, Tom Reid, Jr, and Shirley Reid Clarke; six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. She cared for her husband, Tom who suffered a debilitating stroke prior to their 60th anniversary up until the time of his death in 2019. She was very saddened at his death but was able continue to find purpose in life mostly in the lives of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She greatly enjoyed attending the wedding of her granddaughter Elizabeth, in March of this year.She is survived by her two sisters, Setona Gartner of Wiesbaden, Germany and Eleanor Huff of Richardton, North Dakota; and all of her children, grand children, and great-grand children.