Margaret Katherine (Kline Lawford) Bolton, BA (U of S), was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan in the spring of 1932. She died on July 29, 2019 after leading a full life of quiet achievement and generosity of spirit; she earned a BA in Economics, worked with the forerunner of Medicare in Canada, married a man who became a prominent Canadian neurologist, and became an avid distance runner. She was a devoted wife and loving mother to her three children.
Margaret’s origins were uniquely Canadian. Her father Joseph Kline, was the great-great grandson of Michel Klyne, a Voyageur with the Northwest Company who settled in the Red River area in the early 1800s. His uncle George Klyne became a member of the first Manitoba Legislature in 1870. Joseph was a veteran who fought in both World Wars.
Margaret’s mother was Dorothy Katherine Lawford. Her family immigrated from England and settled in the Territories in the late 1800s near what is now Kisbey, SK. Dorothy’s mother and father farmed a homestead and they both worked for Indian Affairs, teaching indigenous people how to farm.
Dorothy was working as a nurse at the Weyburn Mental Hospital when she met her future husband Joseph Klyne, who was working there as a radiology technician. They married, and not long afterwards, Dorothy gave birth to Margaret; one year later she gave birth to Margaret’s sister Marion.
When Margaret was four years old, her mother developed spinal tuberculosis and was confined to a body cast for thirteen years in the TB sanatorium at Qu’appelle, SK. Margaret and Marion were then adopted by Dorothy’s brother Gardiner Lawford and his wife Stella (nee Dalgleish). Margaret always remembered Gardiner and Stella as wonderful parents. Unfortunately, after the onset of Dorothy’s illness, Joseph and Dorothy were separated for the rest of their lives.
As a child, Margaret was responsible and hardworking. She delivered the daily radio agricultural reports to local grain elevators, and along with Marion, she delivered groceries to the elderly in Kisbey.
Her mother Dorothy eventually recovered from tuberculosis and went on to study Biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan. There, she eventually completed a PhD and became an esteemed Professor in the University’s Department of Biochemistry. Margaret had the good fortune to enter her university studies while her mother was also studying at the university.
Margaret was quite athletic; she was a member of the University of Saskatchewan women’s curling team, played second base in softball and was a crack shot with a rifle. In her early forties she took up running, and eventually ran 10k daily until age eighty.
After graduating from university in 1953, Margaret became a Research Economist in the Department of Public Health in Regina. There, she collected data from the Swift Current Health Unit which was a forerunner of Medicare in Canada.
Margaret met Charles Francis Bolton, in Weyburn, SK in 1952 when he was a young student studying Medicine at Queens University in Kingston, ON. They had a long-distance courtship while he finished his studies. They married in 1956.
With the birth of her first child, Margaret became a fulltime homemaker; a role she thoroughly enjoyed. She fully supported Charles in his career as a neurologist, including managing the finances for his medical practice, and organizing the many moves to new cities and homes. She never complained about Charles’ long absences from the home while he was working at the hospital or speaking at medical conferences. Former Neurology Residents in London, Ontario remembered Margaret as a kind and welcoming hostess at dinner parties.
A tragic car accident took Margaret’s mother away from her and her sister for good in 1965. At that time, Margaret and the children were living in Rochester Minnesota where Charles was doing his Neurology Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. Charles had gone to Saskatoon to speak at the university and on the way to the train station for his return home, the car he and Dorothy were riding in was struck by a drunken driver. Dorothy was killed in the crash, and Charles – who was sitting beside her in the back seat—escaped unharmed. Following her death, the University of Saskatchewan created the Dorothy K. Kline Award for Biochemistry in her honour.
Throughout her life, Margaret continued her interest in economics and politics and enjoyed lively discussions on current policies and topics. She loved gardening, and her efforts achieved the City of London’s Trillium Award. She was a caregiver to the many animals and birds that came in large numbers to her back yard. She loved people and was always willing to take the time to listen, learn, and provide help and advice. Her children’s many friends were a constant presence in the home; they talked of looking forward to seeing “Mrs. Bolton” at the kitchen table for an “ego-boost.”
In her early eighties, Margaret developed dementia and moved with Charles to Vancouver to be closer to daughter Kathy and a warmer climate. While living there, Margaret enjoyed going for “walks” in her wheelchair and experiencing the beautiful gardens and forests near her home. The family is grateful for the love and attention provided by the caregivers she had in her final years.
Margaret died peacefully at home at age 87. She leaves Charles, her husband of 63 years, her son David (Chantal Nadeau), daughters Katherine (Chris Stokes) and Nancy (Marty Turock), grandchildren Marianne and Francis, sister Marion Johnston, sister- in-law Bette Tusz (Bolton), brother-in-law Robert Dodds and many nieces, nephews, and friends. She is predeceased by fathers Joseph Kline and Gardiner Lawford, mothers Dorothy Kline and Stella Lawford, brothers-in-law Gordon (Pete) Johnston and Louis Tusz and sister-in-law Mary Dodds (Bolton).
We will miss Margaret’s warm smile, her inspiration and her love.
Donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada or the University of Saskatchewan.
A celebration of Margaret’s life will take place in Saskatchewan in approximately one year.