Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing, Class of 1911
Annie Coulter, Class of 1911
Annie Coulter was born on February 6, 1877 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1911. In February 1916, Annie Coulter enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC). Nursing sister Coulter served in both England and France during the war. She was posted to Moore Barracks Hospital; No. 1 and No. 2 Canadian General Hospitals in France and a Canadian Casualty Clearing Station in Shorncliffe.
After the war, she returned home to Sault Sault Ste. Marie, where she worked as a relief officer with the city. She passed away on October 17, 1934.
Ethel Theodora Paynter, Class of 1911
Ethel Theodora Paynter was born on October 10, 1884 in Beulah, Manitoba. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1911 and was on staff at Winnipeg General Hospital before enlisting with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in 1916.
Nursing sister Paynter served in both England and France for three years and was stationed at the No. 1 Canadian General Hospital in France and in 1917 transferred to the No. 4 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station where she worked with Lieutenant-Colonel S.W. Prowse, a physician from Winnipeg, who was in charge of the CCS. For her war service she received the Royal Red Cross Second Class in March 1919.
When she returned to Canada in June 1919, she nursed at the No. 10 Manitoba Military Hospital (Tuxedo Park) until she was discharged due to a knee injury in September 1920.
She married William McKay in 1920 and they moved to the Cessford district in Alberta before moving to Calgary in 1973. She lived in Calgary until her death on March 3, 1981 at the age of 96 years.
Isabel McKinnon, Class of 1911
Isabel McKinnon was born on August 24, 1882 in Inverness, Quebec. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1911 and engaged in private duty nursing for several years in Calgary, Winnipeg and Vancouver, before accepting a staff position at Firland Sanatorium in Washington State in 1915.
She enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in July 1917 and served in England at No 10 Canadian General Hospital, Brighton and No. 16 Canadian General Hospital, Orpington before returning to Canada in May 1919.
In 1922, McKinnon was on staff at the Seattle State County Health Department and later moved to Dauphin, Manitoba. According to the Nurses’ Alumnae Journal, she died in 1961 in Victoria, British Columbia.
Louise Newcombe, Class of 1911
Louise Newcombe was born on February 5, 1882 in Deloraine, Manitoba. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1911. After graduation, she was involved with anti-tuberculosis work in Winnipeg. She joined the staff of Winnipeg General Hospital in 1914 and resigned in 1917 when she enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC).
Nursing sister Newcombe served in both England and France and was posted to the Kitchener Military Hospital, Brighton (No. 10 Canadian General Hospital). She also served at the No. 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital, Le Touquet, France.
Excerpt from a letter written by nursing sister Louise Newcombe where she describes Christmas Day 1917, while stationed at Kitchener Hospital, Brighton [Nurses’ Alumnae Journal, April 1918]:
To the Secretary W.G.A.A.
Dear Madam—Will you kindly convey to the members of the Alumnae my sincere thanks for the Christmas cake, which arrived safely and in perfect condition. It is delicious and while we enjoy the cake very, very much it does us even more good to know that we are remembered by the ones at home. So far as I have heard here, the W.G.H. girls are the only ones overseas to be remembered in like manner by their Alumnae. Some of the girls of other schools have received greeting cards, or a magazine, but I think we all agree that nothing could compare with our fruit cakes.
I wonder if you would be interested to know a little about how we spent Christmas here in our small corner?
To begin with, the Sisters mess furnished red and green crepe paper to decorate all the wards and the up-patients did almost all the decorating themselves. They did it well and seemed to enjoy it. They went out into the nearby country and carried home loads of holly—and such holly! Those who are from England will know what the English holly is like. No wonder they used to have festive times here in pre-war days.
Of course each ward carried out its own scheme, and no two were alike. Several made large mottoes for the walls such as “Merry Christmas,” “Good Luck to Our Allies,” “Canada Forever” (a compliment of course to the Canadian staff of the hospital) and on one ward I saw they had one “God Bless the Sisters,” and “Good Luck to You, Old Sport.” That was for their medical officer, who really was a jolly old sport and took it in good part. I fancy it was the work of some of the Canadian patients, as no others would be so unconventional. On Christmas Eve there was carol singing. A Glee Club of some of the Sisters and hospital personnel had been practicing Christmas hymns and old English carols, and on Christmas Eve they went to every block and sang for the patients.
Christmas Day was of course given over to the patients. We have an immense dining hall, where all walking patients had a real good Christmas dinner and some music. In the wards the sick patients had the same dinner and I think most wards had music of some kind that day.
The Sisters provided a real good tea for the patients as their treat, with salad, salmon, fruit jelly, cake and coffee. I was most fortunate, for some of my good Canadian friends sent me boxes for my boys, so I was able to give them real Canadian fruit cake with their coffee, and to each man a package of home-made candy or chocolate, cigarettes, chewing gum, Oxo cubes, playing cards and stationery.
No I think I have written enough to tire you all. I can see you all sitting around the drawing room listening to the Christmas letters from overseas being read at the Alumnae meeting, and in the words of the song “ I want to be there, I want to be there”—but not until we’ve won the war.
Louise Newcombe, N.S
After returning to Canada in 1919, she worked at the Dauphin Hospital for the summer and in 1920, she enrolled in a post-graduate course in the Supervision of Hospitals and Training Schools that was delivered at Columbia University in New York. Once she completed her course, she was appointed an instructor of nurses at Vancouver General Hospital in 1920.
In 1922, Louise accepted a position on staff at Miller Memorial Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota and two years later she was appointed Lady Superintendent (and later Director of Nursing) at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth, Minnesota; it was at St. Luke’s where she worked for the rest of her career and retired in 1941.
She retired to Vacaville, California and died on March 17, 1972 at the age of 91.
Margaret Howe, Class of 1911
Margaret Howe was born on October 9, 1888 in Ottawa, Ontario. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1911 and accepted a staff position at Winnipeg General Hospital where she worked on J Flat.
Margaret enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in February 1915 and served in both England and France. Nursing sister Howe was posted to the No. 4 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station in France where she worked with Lieutenant-Colonel S.W. Prowse, a physician from Winnipeg, who was in charge of the CCS. She also served at No. 16 Canadian General Hospital and at the Canadian Casualty Clearing Station in Shorncliffe before returning to Canada in 1919. For her service, she was awarded the Royal Red Cross, Second Class in 1917.
After the war, she returned to Winnipeg and worked at No. 10 Manitoba Military Hospital (Tuxedo Park) before resigning in 1922 and moving to the United States. She died February 19, [1946?].
Margaret MacRae, Class of 1911
Margaret Wilhelmina MacRae was born on November 12, 1882 in Scotland. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1911 and was on staff at the Regina General Hospital in 1915.
She enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in May 1917 and was posted to the Kitchener Military Hospital in Brighton, England. Nursing sister MacRae served in England for two years before returning to Canada in 1919.
In 1920, she was appointed to the city staff of the Bureau of Child Hygiene (Child Welfare) in Winnipeg. She moved to Honolulu, Hawaii in the early 1930s to work as a private duty nurse. She was living in Victoria, British Columbia at the time of her death in June 1962.
Ruby Elizabeth Stewart, Class of 1911
Ruby Elizabeth Stewart was born on September 2, 1885 in Selkirk, Manitoba. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1911.
She joined British Columbia Unit for overseas service and enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in September 1916. Nursing sister Stewart served in England, France and Salonika and was posted at the No. 5 Canadian General Hospital, Salonika before being transferred to Malta. She was also posted at No. 11 Canadian General Hospital (formerly known as Moore Barracks Hospital) before returning to Canada in May 1919.
According to the Nurses Alumnae Journal, she married Dr. H. Burris and lived in British Columbia until her death in 1982 at the age of 97.
Susan Kilpatrick, Class of 1911
Susan Emma Kilpatrick was born on September 14, 1880 in Kemptville, Ontario. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1911.
Kilpatrick enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) on March 27, 1917 and served in England. Nursing sister Kilpatrick was posted to the No. 16 Canadian General Hospital, Orpington, however due to poor health, she spent many months in hospital convalescing.
In March 1919, she returned to Winnipeg before moving to Denver, Colorado in 1923. She eventually returned to Manitoba and worked at Ninette Sanatorium.
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