Opal May Martin was born in Sylvatus, Virginia, on November 4, 1893. Her parents were Madison Dalton (Matt) Martin and India Alderman Martin.
In 1900, when Opal was 7 years old, her mother died during a childbirth. Opal’s father with the five of the children (Opal, William (Major) , Ethel, Robert and Vanliew) moved to several places in the United States and eventually in 1902, while the children stayed with Martha, an older sister in Oregon he moved to settled in Alberta on a farm 20 miles east and 5 miles south of Innisfail. He wrote Martha with instructions to send Opal and Major to Innisfail. She put them on a train with tags attached to identify them, and they were handed over from one conductor to another. Martin sent a hire man to meet them in Innisfail, and they completed their trip to their new home by horse-drawn wagon. The home then was a sod hut and Opal’s father arranged for Opal to live with an Owens family, and Major lived with him.
In 1909, Martin sold his farm near Innisfail and Opal lived and worked in Edmonton and also the other homesteads which Major and her father had established one being near Flat Creek, Alberta.
It was while in Edmonton that Opal met William Morrow. They were married on September 28, 1915. They established their first home in South Edmonton. Their son, William George, was born there on February 5th, 1917. In 1921 they bought their home at 11304 125th Street, which was their home for the rest of their married life. Their daughter, Virginia May, was born May 1st, 1921 at the University Hospital and taken to the family’s new home.
The Morrows had a quiet but very pleasant family life. Will had a successful law practice as a solicitor with his office in the McLeod building in central Edmonton. For many years Will owned a small forty-acre farm north of Edmonton, and the family spent many happy hours there, picnicking, gardening, planting trees, etc.
For summer vacations, the family generally alternated between renting housekeeping rooms for a month in Victoria near the beach, or going to Manitoba to visit the Morrow relatives there, usually at harvest time so they could help with the harvest. They camped during the long drives, and usually stayed with Ed Morrow on his farm near Oakville. In 1934, the family took a long trip by car to visit Martin relatives in Virginia, and they included a stop-over in Chicago to visit the William McKinley Martin family and to take in the Chicago World Fair.
On April 2, 1959, Will died suddenly at his home in Edmonton. Relatives from Manitoba, his sisters Jen and Mabel and his niece Beatrice, were visiting Will and Opal for Easter.
Soon after Will’s death, Opal sold the family home and moved to a little bungalow at 11151 90th Avenue near the university which the Morrows owned. Later, Opal was forced to sell her home to the University to provide for expansion of the campus, so she moved to an apartment at a convenient location near the center of the city.
During the late 1970's, Opal’s health failed because of Parkinson’s disease. She had several falls, which caused concern about her continuing to live alone. In January, 1979, Opal moved to a nursing home, and she died soon after on February 17, 1979.
In 1900, when Opal was 7 years old, her mother died during a childbirth. Opal’s father with the five of the children (Opal, William (Major) , Ethel, Robert and Vanliew) moved to several places in the United States and eventually in 1902, while the children stayed with Martha, an older sister in Oregon he moved to settled in Alberta on a farm 20 miles east and 5 miles south of Innisfail. He wrote Martha with instructions to send Opal and Major to Innisfail. She put them on a train with tags attached to identify them, and they were handed over from one conductor to another. Martin sent a hire man to meet them in Innisfail, and they completed their trip to their new home by horse-drawn wagon. The home then was a sod hut and Opal’s father arranged for Opal to live with an Owens family, and Major lived with him.
In 1909, Martin sold his farm near Innisfail and Opal lived and worked in Edmonton and also the other homesteads which Major and her father had established one being near Flat Creek, Alberta.
It was while in Edmonton that Opal met William Morrow. They were married on September 28, 1915. They established their first home in South Edmonton. Their son, William George, was born there on February 5th, 1917. In 1921 they bought their home at 11304 125th Street, which was their home for the rest of their married life. Their daughter, Virginia May, was born May 1st, 1921 at the University Hospital and taken to the family’s new home.
The Morrows had a quiet but very pleasant family life. Will had a successful law practice as a solicitor with his office in the McLeod building in central Edmonton. For many years Will owned a small forty-acre farm north of Edmonton, and the family spent many happy hours there, picnicking, gardening, planting trees, etc.
For summer vacations, the family generally alternated between renting housekeeping rooms for a month in Victoria near the beach, or going to Manitoba to visit the Morrow relatives there, usually at harvest time so they could help with the harvest. They camped during the long drives, and usually stayed with Ed Morrow on his farm near Oakville. In 1934, the family took a long trip by car to visit Martin relatives in Virginia, and they included a stop-over in Chicago to visit the William McKinley Martin family and to take in the Chicago World Fair.
On April 2, 1959, Will died suddenly at his home in Edmonton. Relatives from Manitoba, his sisters Jen and Mabel and his niece Beatrice, were visiting Will and Opal for Easter.
Soon after Will’s death, Opal sold the family home and moved to a little bungalow at 11151 90th Avenue near the university which the Morrows owned. Later, Opal was forced to sell her home to the University to provide for expansion of the campus, so she moved to an apartment at a convenient location near the center of the city.
During the late 1970's, Opal’s health failed because of Parkinson’s disease. She had several falls, which caused concern about her continuing to live alone. In January, 1979, Opal moved to a nursing home, and she died soon after on February 17, 1979.
Opal May Martin was born in Sylvatus, Virginia, on November 4, 1893. Her parents were Madison Dalton (Matt) Martin and India Alderman Martin.
In 1900, when Opal was 7 years old, her mother died during a childbirth. Opal’s father with the five of the children (Opal, William (Major) , Ethel, Robert and Vanliew) moved to several places in the United States and eventually in 1902, while the children stayed with Martha, an older sister in Oregon he moved to settled in Alberta on a farm 20 miles east and 5 miles south of Innisfail. He wrote Martha with instructions to send Opal and Major to Innisfail. She put them on a train with tags attached to identify them, and they were handed over from one conductor to another. Martin sent a hire man to meet them in Innisfail, and they completed their trip to their new home by horse-drawn wagon. The home then was a sod hut and Opal’s father arranged for Opal to live with an Owens family, and Major lived with him.
In 1909, Martin sold his farm near Innisfail and Opal lived and worked in Edmonton and also the other homesteads which Major and her father had established one being near Flat Creek, Alberta.
It was while in Edmonton that Opal met William Morrow. They were married on September 28, 1915. They established their first home in South Edmonton. Their son, William George, was born there on February 5th, 1917. In 1921 they bought their home at 11304 125th Street, which was their home for the rest of their married life. Their daughter, Virginia May, was born May 1st, 1921 at the University Hospital and taken to the family’s new home.
The Morrows had a quiet but very pleasant family life. Will had a successful law practice as a solicitor with his office in the McLeod building in central Edmonton. For many years Will owned a small forty-acre farm north of Edmonton, and the family spent many happy hours there, picnicking, gardening, planting trees, etc.
For summer vacations, the family generally alternated between renting housekeeping rooms for a month in Victoria near the beach, or going to Manitoba to visit the Morrow relatives there, usually at harvest time so they could help with the harvest. They camped during the long drives, and usually stayed with Ed Morrow on his farm near Oakville. In 1934, the family took a long trip by car to visit Martin relatives in Virginia, and they included a stop-over in Chicago to visit the William McKinley Martin family and to take in the Chicago World Fair.
On April 2, 1959, Will died suddenly at his home in Edmonton. Relatives from Manitoba, his sisters Jen and Mabel and his niece Beatrice, were visiting Will and Opal for Easter.
Soon after Will’s death, Opal sold the family home and moved to a little bungalow at 11151 90th Avenue near the university which the Morrows owned. Later, Opal was forced to sell her home to the University to provide for expansion of the campus, so she moved to an apartment at a convenient location near the center of the city.
During the late 1970's, Opal’s health failed because of Parkinson’s disease. She had several falls, which caused concern about her continuing to live alone. In January, 1979, Opal moved to a nursing home, and she died soon after on February 17, 1979.
In 1900, when Opal was 7 years old, her mother died during a childbirth. Opal’s father with the five of the children (Opal, William (Major) , Ethel, Robert and Vanliew) moved to several places in the United States and eventually in 1902, while the children stayed with Martha, an older sister in Oregon he moved to settled in Alberta on a farm 20 miles east and 5 miles south of Innisfail. He wrote Martha with instructions to send Opal and Major to Innisfail. She put them on a train with tags attached to identify them, and they were handed over from one conductor to another. Martin sent a hire man to meet them in Innisfail, and they completed their trip to their new home by horse-drawn wagon. The home then was a sod hut and Opal’s father arranged for Opal to live with an Owens family, and Major lived with him.
In 1909, Martin sold his farm near Innisfail and Opal lived and worked in Edmonton and also the other homesteads which Major and her father had established one being near Flat Creek, Alberta.
It was while in Edmonton that Opal met William Morrow. They were married on September 28, 1915. They established their first home in South Edmonton. Their son, William George, was born there on February 5th, 1917. In 1921 they bought their home at 11304 125th Street, which was their home for the rest of their married life. Their daughter, Virginia May, was born May 1st, 1921 at the University Hospital and taken to the family’s new home.
The Morrows had a quiet but very pleasant family life. Will had a successful law practice as a solicitor with his office in the McLeod building in central Edmonton. For many years Will owned a small forty-acre farm north of Edmonton, and the family spent many happy hours there, picnicking, gardening, planting trees, etc.
For summer vacations, the family generally alternated between renting housekeeping rooms for a month in Victoria near the beach, or going to Manitoba to visit the Morrow relatives there, usually at harvest time so they could help with the harvest. They camped during the long drives, and usually stayed with Ed Morrow on his farm near Oakville. In 1934, the family took a long trip by car to visit Martin relatives in Virginia, and they included a stop-over in Chicago to visit the William McKinley Martin family and to take in the Chicago World Fair.
On April 2, 1959, Will died suddenly at his home in Edmonton. Relatives from Manitoba, his sisters Jen and Mabel and his niece Beatrice, were visiting Will and Opal for Easter.
Soon after Will’s death, Opal sold the family home and moved to a little bungalow at 11151 90th Avenue near the university which the Morrows owned. Later, Opal was forced to sell her home to the University to provide for expansion of the campus, so she moved to an apartment at a convenient location near the center of the city.
During the late 1970's, Opal’s health failed because of Parkinson’s disease. She had several falls, which caused concern about her continuing to live alone. In January, 1979, Opal moved to a nursing home, and she died soon after on February 17, 1979.
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