Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-12-09
''0Id Dad Reid
On Long Trail
He Passed Quietly Off Life's
Stage In Hospital Over
At Devils Lake

BELOW space lS given 1oI WoA lily
tribute to the memory Of Dad
Reid one of the first pioneers of /
Langdon who died shortly after
Thanksgiving at Starkweather. to
which place he removed from Lang
don some twenty years ago. The fol.
lowing appeared in the Starkweather
Times of last week..
John c.. Reid, familarly and
affectionately known to everyone in
this community as ''Old Dad Reid
passed off the stage of human activi-
ty last Thursday evening at the
General Hospital at Devils Lake,
whence he had been taken about four
weeks ago, in the hope of recover
ing from an illness which had laid
hold upon his aged body. The passing
of ''Old Dad," while not unexpected,
brought a throb of emotion into the
breast of everyone who knew him,
as was evidenced by the remarks
passed by his friends when the news
of his death came, and the kindly,
affectionate discussion of his life,
No one knows exactly how old
cold Dad' was From what he had
told mis- friends, however, it is
thought that he was in his eighty
second year. His was an eventful
and active life. Born in eastern
Canada, he came to the great North
west in the days of the real pioneers
when few if any of those now living
had yet thought OF the possibilities
of this great empire. His was the
truly pioneer spirit Oae of the
great experiences OF his life, which
he enjoyed relating was his expedi :
tions on exploring and surveying
trips into the very heart Of the vast
wilderness of the Canadian North
'vest, waere white men had not ye
trod and where few have venturec
even yet
No connected account can be give
Of cold Dada life because he wa!
not man to tell or boast of wha
/ he had done or where he had been
/ 1t was only by questioning and in
CURRY that it was possible to lie arr
Of any of his great experiences. l
: seems, however, that in the early
territorial days of North Dakota he
settled in or nesr Cavalier, in wha
was then the Dakota territory
Later he moved to Langdon and from
, there he came to Starkweather wher
the town first started, For severa
, years he operated wagon shop here
but later he was 1nable to follow hi:
calling and was made the village
t marshal, which position made i
/ possible for him to enjoy the neces
, sites of life and some of it's more
desirable comforts. During the pas
f three years, however. he was ever
too feeble for this task.
One Of the pleasures which many
of the people Of this communit!
gave themselves each Christmas fo
= several years was to make up :
purse and present it to 'Old Dad
for Christmas, He was not MAI
to ask for charity and it, was nave
in this spirit that anything was ever
done for him by the people uf this
community. Rather, those who have
enjoyed the privilege of making hin
happy in this way have counted it /;
duty which they owe the aged-an>
, of which "Old Dad' was happy,
cheerful, kindly and atfectionate
example.
No one mas ever spoken an unkine
word of "Old Dad'' since he has
been in this community has
'I there ever been an occasion Tor one
He was that type Of man who
70 wished Everybody good and no one
harm. may not have amassee
the fort # q Morgan nor, attained
to the (. .,Ass Of fame but he die
2 amass irpion OF true and loya
friends ana attained high place II
the hearts and affe tions of everyone
2 who knew him.
His wife died many years ago
He had three children, two daugh
i ters and a son. One daughter il
I now living in Duluth and she wa
n notified of his passing. Anothe
t lives in Texas but her address i
4 unknown. His con was last hear,
of in Montana but it is thought tina