FAMILY WEB PAGE

          Gladys grew up on Syndicate Street in Winnipeg. She had a whole gang of kids she played with.  William 'Billy' Stevenson, who later became the Master Spy ‘Intrepid’, was one of them, along with Johnny Tate, the four Morefield kids and another little girl whose mother would sometimes take them by streetcar out to River Park.  They skated on the river, played baseball and other kids' games and attended Argyle School. (Link to River Park HERE)

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To track her life as far as where she lived, Gladys Murray was born in 1896, and lived in the house at 144 Syndicate Street (address is 140 Syndicate today), 7 doors from the family home of her grandparents Thornton and Louisa Simmons who lived at  168 Syndicate (address is 164 Syndicate today).

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          In 1898, Gladys and her parents moved into 166 Syndicate (address is 160 Syndicate today). This is the 'packing crate house'. RAY: LINK THIS .This move may have been due to the birth of  Gladys's brother, Geordie, on August 26, 1898.

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          In 1902, Gladys, her parents, and her brother  moved into 148 Syndicate (address is still 148 Syndicate today). This move may have been due to the birth of Gladys's sister, Ruby on July 14, 1902.

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          After the 9th grade Gladys attended Commercial College and when she graduated with her stenographic skills Johnny Tate was working at Clark Bros. & Co., and got her a job there in 1911 or 1912.  Clark Bros was a wholesale stationer and Paper Dealer located at 143 Portage Avenue East, in Winnipeg. Gladys worked there, and still lived at 148 Syndicate with her parents and siblings, until she got married to Dave Magee on December 22, 1913 and moved to Cardinal, Ontario.

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          In Cardinal, Gladys had three children, Isabelle, Verna and Vivian. She is listed in the 1921 census for the village of Cardinal, living with her husband, David and their 3 daughters, but her marriage was not a happy one. Gladys returned with her 3 daughters to Winnipeg in 1921. In Winnipeg Gladys lived in an apartment (Suite #1) above her father's harness shop, J. Murray & Co, at 180 Princess Street. These apartments were addressed 180-1/2   Princess, and the building was known as the McGregor Block. In 1921 we find Gladys, her 3 daughters, her mother (Julia), her father (John), her brother (Geordie) and her 2 sisters (Ruby and Hazel) all living in that apartment. Gladys (listed as Mrs. G. McGee) was occupied as a machine operator at J. Murray Ltd., her father's company.

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In 1923, Gladys again went to work for Clark Bros., as a steno. She is listed in Henderson's Directory as Mrs. George Murray, residing at 1-180 1/2 Princess Street. Listed as Gladys Murray in 1925-1927, Gladys continued living at 180 1/2 Princess Street with her parents and siblings. She was not found in 1928.

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In 1929 this whole family, consisting of (father) John, (mother) Julia, (daughter) Ruby, (daughter) Gladys, (granddaughters-Isabelle Verna, and Vivian) vacated 180-1/2 Princess and moved into 210 Horace, a house in the Norwood community of Winnipeg. Glady's 3 daughters went to school in Norwood. Also in 1929, Gladys's employer changed to John Gibb Company, Wholesale and Manufacturing Stationers, 250-256 McDermot Avenue. It is thought this company was the new owner of Clark Bros (yet to be determined).

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There were no changes in 1930 and 1931.

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In 1932, still living at 210 Horace with her daughters and family, Gladys is registered in Henderson's Directory under her maiden name as Miss Gladys Murray, a clerk. In 1932 Gladys's employer changed to W.J. Gage & Co., wholesale stationery, 181 Bannatyne East. This was a larger company from Toronto that likely bought-out John Gibb Company. Gladys stayed with W.J. Gage & Co until her retirement as a secretary in 1961, after turning 65 years old. 

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In 1932 or 1933, Gladys and her daughters left her parents and siblings, and moved with her 3 daughters to 372 Edmonton Street, a rooming house (owned by Albert Jeb-to be confirmed).

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In 1934, 1935, and 1936 Gladys and her 3 daughters continued to live in the rooming house at 372 Edmonton. Gladys is variously listed as Miss. C. Murray, Gladys Magee, and Gladys Murray in these years, in Henderson's Directory. In 1935 and 1936, Isabelle was an employee at Eaton's.

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In 1937 (or possibly 1936), Gladys and her 2 yet-unmarried daughters (Verna and Vivian) moved to 627 Maryland Street where they lived in the home of Johnny and Margie Tough. Johnny was a bookkeeper at Clark Bros. where Gladys had previously been employed. Gladys and Verna were employees at W.J. Gage & Co and Vivian was a steno (employer not stated). Gladys's eldest daughter, Isabelle, was married to Charles Norrie Cruickshank on May 9, 1937, possibly prompting Gladys's move from 372 Edmonton to 627 Maryland. In 1937 (for only one year) Isabelle and Charlie lived next door at 629 Maryland in the home of Alex S. Walker, a carpenter, who was the father of Margie Tough.

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In 1938, Gladys with daughters Verna and Vivian were still living at 627 Maryland. Gladys was still a steno at W.J. Gage & Co., Verna was an operator at W.J. Gage & Co., Vivian was a saleslady at Woolworth's.

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Then in 1939,Gladys and her 2 daughters moved to the Westhome Apartments at 729 Wellington Avenue where they lived in apartment #17. Gladys continued living in the Westhome Apartments as her other 2 daughters were married in 1940 Vivian) and 1941 (Verna). In 1942, Gladys moved in with her daughter Isabelle, into Isabelle and Charlie's newly built home at 1156 Downing Street.

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It was around these days that Gladys became known as "Mom Magee". Of course she was always called "Mom" by her daughters, then her sons-in-law followed suit. But as grandchildren arrived, they also called her "Mom Magee".

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In 1943, Gladys moved into Bannatyne Apartments, at 543 Bannatyne, apartment #8. This building is exactly the same one that guitarist Kurt Winter lived in, years later, and comprised the photograph on Guess Who's album "So Long Bannatyne". She was still living there in 1944. Gladys told her granddaughter Laurie that those days, at the Bannatyne, were the happiest days of her life.

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In 1945 Henderson's Directory shows Gladys moved into 8-263 Young Street. The directory indicates she continued living there in 1946 and 1947, returning to 543 Bannatyne, apartment #8, in 1948. However, this address on Young is not familiar to present family members, so seems like an error in the directory. All-the-while Gladys continued to be employed at W.J. Gage & Co.

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All the kids remember that during the years at 8-543 Bannatyne, Gladys would invite the family over, to watch the Santa Clause parade. It was a short walk to the parade route from her apartment and you could see the parade coming over the Salter Street Bridge from her apartment kitchen window. On a cold day you didn’t have to stand outside in the freezing cold so long; you could just time going out in the cold after seeing the parade hit the bridge. 

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          Gladys continued living at 8-543 Bannatyne until 1961. In that year Gladys retired from the W.J. Gage & Co as a secretary, after turning 65 years old. So in 1961 she moved into a 2 storey house at 608 Broadway Avenue, where she occupied the top storey with her long time friend William (Bill) (Pop) Campbell. This is confirmed in Henderson's Directory. Access was from the front door and immediately up a staircase. There was a fire escape through a second storey back door off the kitchen that was virtually never used. The main floor was occupied by Mrs. Lizzie Duncan.

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As kids we were told that when Bill’s landlady passed away Gladys went to live at 608 Broadway to keep house for Bill and his friend Dave in the upstairs rented rooms. But we never saw Dave!

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Because of the divorce laws in Canada Gladys was unable to marry Bill (Pop) Campbell while her first husband, Dave Magee, was alive. Dave Magee died May 9, 1963 so Gladys and Bill finally married November 16, 1963 with all the family in attendance. They were married in the home of Rev. Fred Douglas and then celebrated with a reception dinner at Vasalund restaurant followed by a great party for the family at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Verna and Art Lightfoot. As family we now had to remember that instead of Mom Magee, she was Mom Campbell. We enjoyed saying that Gladys and Bill were essentially engaged for 41 years!

 

          Always the sports fan, Gladys went to ballgames with her dad, John Robertson Murray, in the early years and then with Bill 'Pop' Campbell. Gladys and Bill (Mom and Pop) even went down east for their summer holidays to watch big league baseball.  She was such a dedicated fan that she would stand on the street in front of the Winnipeg Free Press Building at lunchtime during the World Series and watch the reader board that kept track of what was going on in the game.

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          Gladys used to write down to Chicago in the spring for a baseball schedule and then she and Pop would plan their holidays around which teams they wanted to see play baseball.  They would go for two weeks, drive down, go to the baseball games in the afternoon and then exploring and out for dinner or a show at night.  Sometimes their good friends Hugh and Flo Buchanan went with them but they weren’t baseball fans so they would go off sightseeing while Mom and Pop went to the ballgames. 

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          Mom and Pop had hockey season tickets for years and she had an amazing knowledge of sports in general.  On her 95th birthday we wrote to the Detroit Tigers telling them of her enthusiasm for the team and the announcers in particular.  They sent her back an autographed Hall of Fame baseball postcard with a note from George Kell wishing her Happy Birthday.   She always carried it around with her in her purse and was ready to show it to anyone who was interested.

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          She was always part of the gang of friends with her daughters and was always invited to the parties and picnics.  Her family particularly remembers Sunday lunches after church at Mom’s apartment.  Her granddaughter Rhonda remembers thinking all through church about the great salmon sandwiches Mom Magee made and could hardly wait to get to her place for lunch.  In the summer there were wonderful Sunday picnics at Hobans and Duggards, and Gladys always had the best lunches of anybody.

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          Sadly, Pop Campbell passed away May 8, 1966 but Gladys continued to live in the top storey of 608 Broadway, Winnipeg. She always seemed to be in the middle of interesting things going on in her neighborhood.  Family friend Colin James loves to tell the story of going to visit her one night for dinner and when he arrived there were two policemen at her kitchen table on a stakeout.  She had to prepare the dinner in the dark and then she and Colin went into the living room to eat while the police continued to watch the playfield in the lot behind her house for drugs or some such tip they had received.

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          Gladys moved from 608 Broadway to MacKinnon House, 969 Cambridge Street, Winnipeg, in 1978 where she lived until she passed away on March 13, 1997.

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          It is amazing to think that she lived alone up until she passed away.  With a lot of help from her daughter Vivian she was able to maintain her independence.  Although she was legally blind and couldn’t see much more than shadows with some additional peripheral vision she was able to use the telephone into which numbers had been entered on speed dial so she could call for her groceries, for her hair appointment, her dry cleaners, her taxi rides and her family.  She went to get her hair done every other week up until she passed away.  She loved her sports and continued to enjoy hockey, baseball, basketball, whatever the season.   One year for Mothers’ Day her family gave her a mini-series of Winnipeg Jets hockey tickets and her grandsons and great grandson Glen Grist took turns taking her to the games.

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          She was alert and bright with a wonderful memory and sense of humour right up until her brief hospitalization six months after celebrating her 100th birthday with family and friends.  The 100th birthday celebration was a fitting tribute to her amazing life and she enjoyed it immensely.

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