Duncan MacFarlane Reid 1908 -1988

Jennifer Swantek emailed me in July adding, “Hello Paul. Hope all is well. I live in Michigan, USA. My grandpa, Duncan McFarland Reid, moved here in 1924. I have a Bible from his father, my great grandpa named Donald Reid. The inside of the Bible has a message from the pastor of a church called Livingstone Memorial United Free Church. I am planning my first trip overseas to Scotland this September. I was wondering does this church still exist?  

Also my mother has spent years trying to find a birth certificate or some record of what would be my great great grandfather whose name was John Reid. He also lived in Blantyre. Do you have any suggestions for how I might search for records of him? Thank you so much for any thoughts you might have. Sincerely – Jennifer.”

I was able to reply with the following:

Hi Jennifer – Thanks for your email. I have a few notes on this family, well at least I hope its the same family. Hope this is of interest. Firstly, yes Livingstone Memorial Church is still there today. It’s a beautiful church and is on Glasgow Road in Blantyre. It remembers explorer David Livingstone and was built in the 1880’s. 

When Duncan MacFarlane Reid was born on December 9, 1908, in Blantyre, Lanarkshire, his father, Donald McLachlan Reid, was 36 and his mother, Agnes MacFarlane -Reid, was 36. He was the youngest of 3 children, (his elder sister Jessie b1897-2001), and John (Jack Reid b1905-1966). The Blantyre connection to this family was through Agnes MacFarlane’s side of the family, as Duncan was originally from Glasgow.

According to passenger lists, Duncan set sail across the Atlantic and arrived in Port Huron, St Clair, Michigan, USA on 23 April 1927. A few years later, Duncan’s mother Agnes passed away on June 7th 1932 in Saginaw, Michigan at the young age of only 59. Duncan MacFarlane Reid married Grace M Hammond-Reid on November 20, 1940, when he was 31 years old. Just before the end of World War Two, Duncan’s father Donald McLachlan Reid passed away on January 13th 1944 in Saginaw, Michigan at the aged of 71.  

 

Sadness was replaced by happiness when the son of Duncan and Grace , Donald MacFarlane jnr was born on 9th December 1946, co-inicdentally having the same birthday as his own dad, Duncan. They had two children during their marriage. 

 

Duncan brother John (Jack) who had followed them out to the USA, died on 19th December 1966 in Saginaw, Michigan when Duncan was 58 years old. Wife, Grace passed away on May 8th 1988, after being married for 47 years.

 

Duncan died on August 5, 1988, in Saginaw, Michigan, at the age of 79. Finally, I hope this is your grandparents…..here are Duncan and Grace Reid pictured below in their Silver Wedding Anniversary.