Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing, Class of 1914

Annie Mitchell, Class of 1914

Annie Fisher Mitchell was born on November 19, 1890 in Dalhousie, New Brunswick.

She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1914 and enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in June 1915. She served in both England and France and her postings included the No. 2 Canadian General Hospital, while in England and No. 4 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station in France, where she worked alongside Lieutenant-Colonel S.W. Prowse, a physician from Winnipeg General Hospital. For her service, nursing sister Mitchell was awarded the Royal Red Cross.

After the war, Annie accepted a position on staff at Winnipeg General Hospital and later with the Psychopathic Hospital – a position she held until 1923, when she was appointed Lady Superintendent of Brandon Mental Hospital. In 1927, she resigned from her position in Brandon to engage in private duty nursing in Winnipeg.

Bertha Thorsteinson, Class of 1914

Bertha (Bjӧrg) Thorsteinson was born on April 30, 1888 in Isafjordur, Iceland. Her family emigrated to Winnipeg in 1893.

She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1914 and accepted a position at Watrous Hospital in Saskatchewan. In 1916, she resigned and joined the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) and went overseas to serve in England. She transferred into the Canadian Army Medical Corps in 1920.

It is not known where nursing sister Thorsteinson was posted with the CAMC. When she returned to Canada, she moved to Winnipeg and accepted a position at Winnipeg General Hospital. In 1922, she began working at Deer Lodge Convalescent Hospital.

Sometime later, Bertha entered the University of British Columbia to study in a course on public health, graduating in 1924. She married Roy Thomson in 1925. From 1927 to 1929, Bertha worked in the Tuberculosis Pavilion at the Vancouver General Hospital, before joining the British Columbia Provincial Public Health Service to work in Keremeos, British Columbia and three surrounding First Nations Reserves. Bertha later took charge of the Icelandic Old People’s Home (Hӧfn) in Vancouver from 1947 to her retirement in 1954. She passed away in 1975.

Dora Oliver, Class of 1914

Alice Theodora (Dora) Oliver was born on June 22, 1888 in Manitoba. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1914 and enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in May 1917.

Nursing sister Oliver served in both England and France from 1917 to 1919 and was posted at Granville Canadian Special Hospital; Canadian Military Hospital in Basingstoke and Kirkdale; No. 11 Canadian General Hospital, Moore Barracks; and No. 14 Canadian General Hospital in France.

After the war, Alice engaged in private duty nursing in Victoria before accepting a position at Shaughnessy Hospital and later at Hycroft Veterans Hospital, where she was Matron until her retirement in 1953. She passed away on November 14, 1986 at Shaughnessy Hospital, at the age of 99.

Ethel Carter, Class of 1914

Ethel Carter graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing 1914. After graduation, she and Ruth McClelland, also a 1914 graduate from Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing, moved to Vancouver and then to Skagway, Alaska.

Ethel enlisted with the Queen’s Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service in 1917 and served overseas, although it is not known for how long or where she was posted. After the war, she nursed at a mission in Romania, before returning to Canada and moving to Ontario.

Evelyn Aston, Class of 1914

Evelyn Mary Aston was born on October 13, 1889 in Grenfell, Saskatchewan.

She graduated from Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing 1914 and worked at both the Regina Hospital and Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria before joining the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service in 1917.

She served in England at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley Hants for a year until enlisting with the Canadian Army Medical Corps in February 1918. While serving with the CAMC, Nursing sister Aston was posted to the No. 14 Canadian General Hospital, Brighton until being discharged in May 1919.

After the war, she engaged for a short time in private duty nursing in Winnipeg before marrying Alexander Simister and moving to Ingersoll, Ontario. She passed away in Port Burwell, Ontario on January 14, 1971.

Grace Jean Conner, Class of 1914

Grace Jean Conner was born on May 21, 1887 near Morden, Manitoba. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1914 and accepted a staff position in the operating room at Winnipeg General Hospital.

In May 1915, Grace enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) and served from 1915 to 1919 in France and England. Nursing sister Conner served at No. 1 Canadian General Hospital, Le Treport; No. 2 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, France; and No. 14 Canadian General Hospital, Brighton before returning to Canada in March 1919.

She married William McKenzie after the war. During her career, she lived in Peace River, Snowflake and Pilot Mound and devoted herself to the nursing profession until her retirement to Manitou in 1952. She passed away on February 7, 1974.

Telegraph sent to Grace Conner about being accepted into the Canadian Army Medical Corps, April 9, 1915.] — Grace Conner

Jane Chisholm, Class of 1914

Jane Chisholm was born on December 29, 1888 in Bresaylor, Saskatchewan.

She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1914 and enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in March 1917.

Nursing sister Chisholm served in England and was posted to No. 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital, Eastbourne (which was redesignated as No. 14 Canadian General Hospital in September 1917). Due to poor health, she was admitted to a Canadian Red Cross Special Hospital in 1918 and returned to Canada in November. She was admitted to the No. 10 Manitoba Military Hospital (Tuxedo Park) in order to convalesce.

She married and moved to Saskatchewan where she lived until her passing on February 7, 1976.

Lilian Lynch, Class of 1914

Lilian Lynch was born on June 10, 1889 in Westbourne, Manitoba. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1914 and enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps in February 1915.

Nursing sister Lynch served France and was posted at No. 2 Canadian General Hospital, Le Treport, France and then transferred to the No. 4 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, where she worked alongside Lieutenant-Colonel S.W. Prowse, a physician from Winnipeg General Hospital, who was in charge of the CCS.

After the war, she moved to the United States where she worked as a private duty nurse in California and Arizona for several years.

In 1923, she returned to Canada and accepted a nursing position in Saskatchewan with the Department of Education, where she worked in the Regina Public School system. She passed away on March 30, 1965.

Margaret Robertson, Class of 1914

Margaret Robertson was born on May 25, 1887 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1914 and in January 1915 accepted a position at Ninette Sanatorium where she worked for 18 months. After a visit home to Scotland, she returned to Winnipeg and accepted a position at Children’s Hospital where she worked until enlisting with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in May 1917.

Nursing sister Robertson served in England during the war and was posted to the Moore Barracks Hospital and No. 15 Canadian General Hospital (Duchess of Connaught’s Red Cross Hospital).

She returned to Canada in June 1919 and worked in California for a short time before moving to Vancouver, British Columbia. She passed away on January 9, 1958.

Olive Stewart (nee Ray), Class of 1914

Oliver Gertrude Ray was born on January 24, 1890 in Norwood Ontario. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1914 and enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) under her married name Stewart on April 3, 1914.

Nursing sister Stewart served in Canada and supervised the Military Wards at Winnipeg General Hospital until March 1918, when she resigned from her post. She moved to New York for several years and returned to Winnipeg in 1922 to engage in private duty nursing.

She passed away on April 2, 1940 in California.

Ruth McClelland, Class of 1914

Ruth Adelaide McClelland was born on September 23, 1884 in Letellier, Manitoba. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1914. After graduation, she and Ethel Carter, also a 1914 graduate, moved to Vancouver and then to Skagway, Alaska.

Ruth enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in March 1917 and served in England for two years. Nursing sister McClelland was posted to the No. 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital and No. 14 Canadian General Hospital, Eastbourne; Granville Canadian Special Hospital, Buxton; No. 15 Canadian General Hospital, Taplow; and No. 16 Canadian General Hospital, Orpington.

She returned to Canada in 1919. She married Robert Moody and lived in Morris, Manitoba until her death on February 24, 1966.

Winnifred Dawson, Class of 1914

Winnifred Dawson was born on February 26, 1890 in Ontario.

She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1914 and accepted a position on staff in Canora, Saskatchewan. She returned to Winnipeg in 1916 and accepted a position as an operating room nurse at Winnipeg General Hospital – a position she held until 1917 when she was appointed nurse in charge of the operating room at No. 10 Manitoba Military Hospital (Tuxedo Park).

Winnifred enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in September 1917 and traveled overseas in March 1918. Nursing sister Dawson was posted to No. 10 Canadian General Hospital, Brighton.

She returned to Canada in July 1919 and worked for the Child Welfare Department in Toronto until 1922, when she moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she was employed by the Rockefeller Foundation as a Public Health Nurse. She held this position for several years.

In 1937, she was the Eastern Supervisor of the Victoria Order of Nurses (VON) in Moncton, New Brunswick. She passed away in June 1972.