Retired missionary worker and pastor emeritus, Bob Reid was born in 1936 in Stony Creek, Ont. He calls Niagara Falls home. He grew up and was educated in the Niagara area of Ontario and went on to graduate from the Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alta. Studies in theology followed later.
Bob married Ruth Rothenberg and worked along with his father on the family fruit farm for nearly three years until the young couple departed for India and started work as missionaries.
Ruth was born in Thunder Bay in 1937. She attended Briercrest Bible College and Seminary in Caronport, Sask. After college she took a three-year course and graduated from the General Hospital of Port Arthur School of Nursing and worked for several years as a substitute nurse.
Bob and Ruth met one another in 1959 when they were both working as counselors at a bible camp in Thunder Bay, a camp similar to the Ness Lake Bible Camp here in Prince George.
They were married in 1962 and in 1965 they moved to India for the next 37 years. Bob said, "Ruth and I both sensed that God was telling us to dedicate our lives as missionaries. To make a long story short, we ended up in India. For the first two years we studied the Hindi language and the basics of Indian culture. We were relieved to learn that many people spoke English in India."
Bob explained, "English and Hindi are both national languages, however various states of India have their own regional languages. Both English and Hindi are the languages of the Union Government of India; English is used in the education system."
Bob was the pastor of several congregations in the capital city of New Delhi and taught theology and bible in seminaries. Ruth guided the ladies of the congregation in home bible studies that were presented in both English and Hindi. She held the position of mission treasurer for many years.
Bob said, "We enjoyed the Indian people and our work in India and the 37 years that we spent there just flew by. There came a time to turn our ministry over to national colleagues and return to Canada. We retired from ministry in India in 2002."
For the next two years, Bob was an associate pastor in his childhood church at Niagara Falls.
"We have three children and all studied up to Grade 12 in India before coming to Canada for college. Stephen lives in Sweden, Karen (Myles) in Chilliwack and Marilyn (Paul) live in the Beaverly area near Prince George; we have five gran children. We found ourselves faced with the decision of where to move once we left India to retire. Sweden was ruled out. We finally decided to settle in Prince George as this is a great area, especially for fishing, which we both enjoy."
They arrived in Prince George in 2004 and soon became part of the College Heights Baptist Church. Bob has been on various church boards, preaches occasionally, and teaches bible classes. The church recently honoured him by bestowing the title of pastor emeritus upon him. The title "emeritus" is an honorary title bestowed upon one who has retired from a position of high rank.
They have travelled back to India three times to teach in seminaries to students and national pastors. Often it is to teach biblical hermeneutics, or in other words the principles of interpretation of the Bible.
They are both active in their community. Bob is involved with their church and has served on the board of directors at the Elder Citizens Recreation Association (ECRA) and an international mission board. Ruth volunteers at the church, Bibles for Missions, the Gospel Singers at the ECRA and teaches bible studies with local ladies. Their hobbies include fishing and traveling.
Bob concluded by saying, "Don't ever think of retiring as just a time to do nothing. It doesn't work that way because you are going to be busier than ever. We are so grateful that we retired here in Prince George because it is a great place with great people."
The Prince George & District Senior Citizens Activity Centre at 425 Brunswick is changing the date of their Sunday dinners from the second Sunday of the month to the fourth Sunday of the month. For more information, call Trianda at 250-564-3287.
February birthdays that I know about: Judy Jackson, Darlene Meyers, Bob Carrier, Judy Fisher, Amy Vander Ploeg, Ton Vander Ploeg, Sophie Chartrand, Kirsten Redding, Paul Steindl, Iris Frenkel, Verna Wright, Clarence Boudreau, Kathy Iselmoe, Joan McKay, Peter Osis, Aurela Kronebusch, Marlene Johnson, Roman Hildebrandt, Raymond Roch, Helen Dahl, Andrea McKenzie, Evelyn Porter, Delores Bircher, Ingrid Maack, Lillian Peter, Jack McKinley, Edna Stitt, Fred Dettling, Marlys Labonte, Anna Sciara, Rosetta Mauro, Mary Brizan, Betty Pearson, Susan Scott, Chris Jacobs, Joyce Antonyk, Millie Christenson, Doris Dittaro, Irene Carbert, Manfred Hamm, Ed Olichny, Luisa Botelho, Golddie Laferdy, Sandy Shinnie, Neil Peterson, Denise Chenail, Anita Laurin, Frances Chroscinski, Corinne Collins, Ted Girling, Luci Goodfellow, Gordan Hall, Judy Johnson, Mel Pearson, James Stanyer, Mona Strand, Noreen Stubley, Jack Wagner, Lloyd Annis, Rudy Wortman, Russel Prouse, Audrey Kelly, Barbara Carson, Carol Ventress, Olga Roux, William Theessen, Gilbert Stolz, Louis Matte, Judy Roe, Wayne Sater, Brenda Borden and Helga Bertram.
Anniversaries: 62 years for Keith and Marg McLachlan, 52 years for Ernie and Diana Myers, 52 years for Wayne and Jan Braaten, 52 years for Earl and Lorraine Turner, 39 years for Jim & Brenda Doucette, 23 years for Joe and Janice (Taylor) Anderson, and 15 years for Lino and me.
