Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing, Class of 1910
Ellanore Parker, Class of 1910
Ellanore Jane Parker was born on October 21, 1883 in Dublin, Ireland. She immigrated to Canada and graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1910.
Parker joined the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) and went to France in January 1915 where she served in the No. 1 and No. 2 Canadian Stationary Hospitals near Dieppe. Nursing sister Parker attended to soldiers who were exposed to mustard and chlorine gas that were brought in for treatment from Vimy and Somme and she herself was exposed to gas and consequently suffered with health problems for the rest of her life.
Ellanore Parker was also an inventor, who did extensive work in the electronics field and designed a water cannon and a magnetic detector, a forerunner to radar – both used by the British Government For her service during the war, she was awarded the British General Service Medal, the Victory Medal and the Mons Star. She was discharged due to poor health and moved to California in 1919.
She lived in California until 1948 and worked as an editorial writer for the Los Angeles Times. In addition, she wrote two books of fiction based upon her experiences as a nursing sister – “The Land Lay Waiting” and “The Flower of the Land (A Tapestry of the Great War)” published in 1941. She moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 1948 and lived there until her death on October 10, 1965.
Florence Whittick, Class of 1910
Florence Katherine Whittick was born on February 14, 1885 in Niverville, Manitoba. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1910 and enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps in June 1915.
Nursing sister Whittick served in both England and France during the war, however there are few details about where she was posted with the exception that in December 1915 she was stationed at No. 15 Canadian General Hospital (Duchess of Connaught’s Red Cross Hospital, Taplow), working alongside fellow Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing graduates Clara Hood (1901) and Hilda Corelli (1909).
Whittick received the Royal Red Cross Award from King George at Buckingham Palace for her service overseas and returned to Canada in 1919. She was appointed to the staff of City Child Welfare in 1920. In 1922, she married Allan McKean and they lived in Winnipeg. She passed away on December 15, 1966 at Deer Lodge Hospital.
Jean Urquhart, Class of 1910
Jean Urquart was born on March 5, 1885 in Dingwall, Rosshire, Scotland. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1910 and was appointed assistant Operating Room nurse at Winnipeg General Hospital. In 1911, she accepted a position as head Operating Room nurse at Galt Hospital in Lethbridge, Alberta.
In 1912, Jean Urquhart moved to the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, British Columbia, where she was also in charge of the Operating Room – a position she held until 1914, at which time she accepted a position of Operating Room nurse at Regina General Hospital. She became the Matron of the Saskatchewan Unit of Nurses serving overseas and enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps on April 4, 1916.
Nursing sister Urquhart served in both England and France and held Matron positions at Shorncliffe Military Hospital, Hastings Military Hospital and No. 2 Stationary Hospital in France. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross First Class in 1918.
After the war, she accepted a position on staff of the School of Hygiene of the Province of Saskatchewan and also taught school hygiene at the Provincial Normal School in Regina. She married Dr. W.W. Laing and they moved to the United States and lived in New York and California.
Jessie Isobel Smith, Class of 1910
Jessie Isobel Smith was born on October 17, 1885 in Arthur, Ontario. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1910 and soon after graduation accepted a position at the hospital in Lashburn, Saskatchewan. In 1911, she resigned and began private nursing in Edmonton, Alberta.
Jessie enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps in September 1916 and served in both England and France. Nursing sister Smith was posted at Duchess of Connaught’s Canadian Red Cross Hospital in Taplow and then No. 3 Canadian Stationary Hospital in France where she nursed alongside fellow Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing graduates Josephine (Josie) MacDonald, Lola Bell, Ethel Gray, and Mary Best. All of these nursing sisters were in France during the air raids and Jessie Smith was hospitalized for a time due to mental exhaustion and tonsillitis. Once she recovered, she was posted to the Canadian Red Cross Special Hospital in Buxton in 1919.
After the war she was employed at the sanatorium in La Jolla, California with her friend Josephine MacDonald. She spent her nursing career in California and returned to Winnipeg in 1957. She passed away on August 20, 1958 at Deer Lodge Hospital.
A letter written by Jessie Smith while she was stationed at No. 3 Canadian Stationary Hospital, France:
No. 3 Canadian Stationary Hospital France, B.E.F., 9 -11-17
Members of W.G.H. Alumnae Association.
Dear Sister Nurses – Another year is drawing to it close, and our thoughts dwell longest and more often on home and old friends during this season, not but what we often think of you and your work. We haven’t always the time to give expression to our thoughts, but at this particular time we make a special effort. I will start by wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous and useful New Year. Sometimes it is our privilege to meet members, and it is a touch of home, I can assure you, when we can discuss old times and friends. We can picture you all carrying on the good work. No matter where you may go in France or England there are members are, and, I can proudly say, upholding the high standard of their training school.
In our hospital are Misses Bell, Gray, Best, MacDonald, and myself. Not many kilometers away are Misses Forrest, Harriot, Johnson, Paynter, Howe and several others.
While I was on leave I had lunch with Misses Wilson, Martin and Perrin. All the sisters are looking very fit.
We may well be proud of the number of members who have won special mention.
Now a word about our work here.
The hospital is beautifully situated. It is an old French citadel, built in the fifteenth century. It has immense stone walls surrounding it. The woods are wonderful. For seven miles under this old place are old unused tunnels. These come in very handy for air raids. We have several large buildings for hospitals, the number of patients from 500 to 900. For any overflow tents are erected until we evacuate. One large building set apart from the others is for shell shock cases; this is usually filled. They number from 200 to 300. This work is interesting, but very trying. We have had some very severe gas cases.
We have quite a number of Jamaicans. Poor fellows, they feel the cold intensely. They are splendid patients. We had it quiet for a few months but we are not very busy. There are 15 medical officers. The nursing staff numbers 45. We would love to come across some Winnipeg doctors, but such god fortune has not been our lot.
At present I am O.C. of the Sisters’ mess—in other words, Home Sister. We are very happy. We are fond of our matron, a Miss Wilson. She is very capable and exceptionally fair.
Our C.O., Colonel C. Meason is from London, Ontario.
Now I have pictured our abode, and will leave your imagination to do the rest. We are having cold, damp weather. Our fuel consists of the crumbs from the coal. If by any chance we should come across lump we would store it in case the crumbs ran out, but we are not suffering.
The meals are fair. The Sisters on the whole are good sports, taking the good with the bad. I now go on my final tour of inspection for the day. Again wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Yours sincerely,
J. Isobel Smith
Josephine (Josie) MacDonald, Class of 1910
Josephine Angeline MacDonald was born on October 31, 1878 in Brantford, Ontario. She moved with her parents to Emerson, Manitoba and then to Portage in 1906.
She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1910. After graduation, she accepted a position as Nurse Superintendent of the hospital in Lashburn, Saskatchewan. In 1911, she resigned and began private nursing in Portage la Prairie.
MacDonald enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) on July 28, 1916 at Camp Hughes in Manitoba and served in both England and France. She was initially posted to the Duchess of Connaught’s Red Cross Hospital in Taplow before being transferred to France in 1917 where she nursed alongside fellow Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing graduates Isobel Smith, Lola Bell, Ethel Gray, and Mary Best at the No. 3 Canadian Stationary Hospital. According to her obituary, she was also posted at No. 1 Canadian General Hospital, Etaples, France and survived several bombing raids by the Germans.
After the war, she spent two years nursing in La Jolla, California with her friend Isobel Smith. Upon her return to Canada she nursed at No. 10 Manitoba Military Hospital (Tuxedo Park) and, in 1926, joined the staff at Deer Lodge Hospital where she worked until her retirement in 1940.
Margaret McGilvray, Class of 1910
Margaret Campbell McGilvary was born on June 26, 1878 in Glasgow, Scotland. She came to Canada with her parents in 1886.
Margaret graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1910. After graduation, she joined the staff of Tranquille Sanatorium as Lady Superintendent in Kamloops, British Columbia where she worked until 1912. She returned to Winnipeg in 1912 and engaged in private duty nursing for several years before joining the staff at King George Hospital in 1916. She later accepted, a position with the Public Health Unit focusing on the prevention of tuberculosis – a position she held until she enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps in March 1917.
During the war, nursing sister McGilvray was posted at the No. 8 Canadian Stationary Hospital, Hastings and No. 12 Canadian General Hospital, Bramshott. She returned to Canada in 1919 and joined the staff of Winnipeg General Hospital as a staff nurse and supervisor of the Military Wards and later the private wards section. In 1923, she was appointed Night Superintendent – a position she held until her retirement in 1939. She received the King’s Jubilee Medal in 1936.
She passed away on May 29, 1947.
Mary Best, Class of 1910
Mary Agnes Best was born on September 24, 1884 in McKillop, Township, Huron County, Ontario. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1910 and soon after accepted a position on staff at the Regina General Hospital.
In April 1915, she joined the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC). During the war, nursing sister Best served in England, France and Salonika. She was posted to the No. 3 Canadian Stationary Hospital, Egypt in 1916, as well as No. 4 Canadian General Hospital, Basingstoke, England. In 1918, she returned to Canada where she served at the St. Andrew’s Military Hospital in Toronto until she was discharged in April 1920. She received the Royal Red Cross for her service.
After the war, Mary lived in Winnipeg and North Dakota; in 1933, she accepted a position as Matron of an American hospital located in Mexico City, a position she held for several years. She died on July 26, 1968 in Walhalla, North Dakota.
Mary White, Class of 1910
Mary White was born on September 22, 1883 in Camphill, Ayrshire, Scotland.
She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1910 and immediately accepted a position at Westhope Hospital in North Dakota. She resigned from Westhope Hospital in 1911 to do private nursing in Winnipeg. In 1912, she moved to Fernie, British Columbia to take charge of the hospital there. In 1915, Mary White enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) and was stationed at No. 3 Canadian Stationary Hospital in Egypt.
After the war, she married Alex Murdock and they settled in Saskatchewan. She passed away on August 28, 1961.
Olive Coad, Class of 1910
Olive Maud Coad was born on March 5, 1884 in Wingham, Ontario. She moved to Eden, Manitoba with her family in 1890.
She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1910. She accepted a position at the military hospital at Camp Sewell (later named Camp Hughes) in Manitoba in order to gain military nursing experience before enlisting with the Canadian Army Medical Corps in November 1916.
Nursing sister Coad served in both England and France and was posted at the No. 9 Canadian Stationary Hospital and No. 12 Canadian General Hospital; Bramshott; No. 4 Canadian General Hospital, Basingstoke and No. 9 Canadian Stationary Hospital in Etaples, France. She survived German air raid attacks while posted in Etaples, France.
After returning to Canada, she worked as both a private and special nurse in Canada and the United States. She died at age 90 on April 23, 1974 in Neepawa, Manitoba.
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