Frederick Ernst Bettle was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1877, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen (Doughty) Bettle. He was a sergeant in the 89th regiment, in the 2nd contingent of the Canadian Mounted Rifles for the South African War. He belonged to the Loyal Crusaders of Saint John a temperance organization advocating prohibition of alcoholic beverages. He left Saint John in 1907 for Vancouver, B.C., and died there in 1963. He worked for West Coast Grocery Co. He married Cassie Taylor. He had a sister Ida and two brothers Frank and Harry, who served in the First World War.