BEATRICE (OATWAY) LINKINS

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

BEATRICE (OATWAY) LINKINS Beatrice Linkins, beloved wife of William H. Linkins of Florence, OR, U.S.A., passed away peacefully on October 9, 2001, after a short illness, at St. Catherines Alzheimer Centre, Coos Bay, OR, aged 89 years. She was predeceased by her husband Bill on May 1, 1999; her parents Robert and Margaret Oatway; a brother Ross; and three sisters, Jean Boles, Mavis and Ida. She is survived by her sister-in-law Margaret Oatway (Ross) and a brother Douglas of Winnipeg. Betty (as she was always called, later she changed it to the more exotic "Bette", being an admirer of Bette Davis, the Hollywood actress) was born on January 4, 1912, on the farm at Greenridge, MB. She went to the local school to Grade XI, and then to Wesley Collegiate for Grade XII. She then went on to Winnipeg Normal School. Following graduation, she taught at Woodmore and Langside Schools, which were near her home. Later on, she decided to go to work at the Winnipeg Free Press in the Circulation Department. While in Winnipeg, she took First Aid, and joined the St. Johns Ambulance. When the War came along, she went to Ottawa to work as a clerk in the Department of National Defence. It was there that she met her husband. He was an American citizen, who, in 1940, tried to enlist in the U.S. Army, passed the medical exam, but a chest X-ray was reported as showing an enlarged heart, and he was turned down (it didnt appear to shorten his life). He applied to get in to the Canadian Army, and because of his experience as a mechanicespecially motorcycleshe was accepted, and put in a School of Instruction for M/C training as an Instructor at Kingston, ON. They were married in 1942. At the end of the War in Europe, Bill took his discharge, and he and Betty moved to Atlanta, GA, where Bill continued the same work with the U.S. Army as a civilian. When the Pacific War ended, they moved to Corpus Christi, TX, where Bill got a job as a troubleshooter on the oil rigs in South Texas. They built a house, with Betty pitching in as well. They lived there six years, and then moved to California, and settled in the San Jose area. Bill got work as a sheet metal worker, and Betty got a job as a payroll clerk with Monarch Match Co.she commuted to work every day in a small car. When they retired, they moved to OregonGrants Pass. They were there for six years. Bill had developed an interest in boats at Kingston, and wanted a place on a lake where he could sail his sailboat. He located a nice spot on Siltcoos Lake near Florence and bought a house there on the lake. They spent 22 happy years there, until Bill died in 1999. In the few years before this, Betty gradually showed signs of Alzheimers Diseaseshe eventually couldnt manage the cooking, and Bill had to take over. He looked after her until he died, and then she was placed in a Nursing Home at Coos Bay by Bills niece and Bettys Trust. It was a very nice place; the staff looked after her well, and she was happy until she diedalthough she would often enquire about her family, fully believing they were all still alive. Bette enjoyed a quiet life. She liked music and had an electric organ. She tended her garden and flowers. Her house was surrounded by flowering shrubs, and was hidden in the trees. It was an idyllic setting. She didnt travel as much as her older sisters. She enjoyed doing crossword puzzles. She had a good memory when she was young, and learned the knack of reading tea cups. She retained her youthful, smooth, rather pale skin complexion to the end. Appreciation is given to Bills niece Gene Ann Letenser (Frank), her mother Kay Linkins, the staff of the Living Trust, the staff of St. Catherines Alzheimer Centre, and neighbour "Rags" Ragsdale, for the care and attention shown to Bette. Bill had not wanted a formal funeral, but had asked his close friend and neighbour to take his ashes out in the urn, weighted with concrete (he gave detailed instructions) in one of Bills boats and lower it into the lake that had given him such enjoyment over the years. He wished his name inscribed on Bettes gravestone, and underneath, (with wry humour) the words "Lost at Sea". Cremation was carried out at Burnss Riverside Chapel in Florence, OR. Funeral service, conducted by Rev. Alan Armstrong, will be held at Greenridge United Church, Greenridge, MB, R0A 0P0, on Tuesday, November 13 with interment in the family plot. If desired, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimers Society or a charity of choice.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 10, 2001