Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing, Classes of 1905 and 1906

Ada Janet Ross, Class of 1905

Ada Janet Ross was born in Toronto, Ontario on August 11, 1867, the daughter of Joseph and Margaret Ross. Her family included older sister, Elizabeth, and younger brother, Waldon. The family moved from Toronto to Port Arthur, Ontario where her father worked as a carpenter.

In the mid-1890s, they relocated to Winnipeg. Joseph Ross died in 1899 and Ada and her mother lived with Elizabeth and her husband, William Alexander Brown, a railway conductor.

Ada enrolled in the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing and graduated in 1905 when she was 34 years old. From 1908 to 1912 she was Lady Superintendent of Selkirk Hospital before undertaking a six month post-graduate course at the Women’s Hospital in New York, which she completed in July 1912.

World War I began in August 1914; Ada enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps in May 1915, at the age of 47; she traveled to England on the SS Hesperian, along with 90 other nurses. They arrived in Liverpool on May 10 – two months later she was posted to the No. 1 Canadian General Hospital in Etaples, France where she served for two years.

In August 1917, she was transferred to the Ontario Military Hospital, Orpington (No. 16 Canadian General Hospital). That same month she visited Canada while on transport duty where she visited family and friends in Winnipeg. A tea was held in her honour by the Nurses’ Alumnae Association on September 17, 1917 where she gave a talk about her experiences as a nursing sister, which was later printed in the Alumnae Journal.

“Miss Ross gave a most interesting account of her experiences, her description of the treatment of wounds being exceedingly good. The gas used in the enemy’s shells in a dreaded complication. So quickly is the inflammation set up and spread that in four hours amputation of a limb may be necessary. Miss Ross said surgical supplies were plentiful; the only article they were ever short of was cotton batting for padding splints, etc. A large part of Miss Ross’ time has been spent in the No. 1 General Hospital, France, in the surgical wards. The work is now more systematized and the long hours and disturbed nights are largely of the past, there being sufficient night sisters and orderlies to attend to fresh convoys. The work of the sisters seems to be confined to the dressing of wounds. he orderlies are trained to attend to all else. Our members overseas Miss Ross reports as generally in good health.”

[Excerpt from Nurses’ Alumnae Journal – Alumnae Notes, Oct 1917]

Nursing sister Ross returned to England in late September and was re-posted to the Ontario Military Hospital, Orpington. Six months later, in February 1918, she was transferred to the Canadian Special Red Cross Hospital in Buxton, Derbyshire. It was there that she became ill with tuberculosis and in June 1918 she was admitted to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital for Nursing Sisters in Northwood, Buxton. It was recommended that she be sent home to Canada, however her illness progressed rapidly and she died on July 12, 1918 from tuberculosis, peritonitis and pleurisy.

A full military funeral for Ada Janet Ross was held on July 18, 1918 at St. John’s Church with Rev. Major Hooper, Chaplain to the Canadian forces in Buxton, officiating. Her casket was draped with the Union Jack and floral tributes were set on the gun carriage. Six Canadian officers acted as pallbearers, along with 60 officers, 150 nursing sisters and soldiers forming the procession to Buxton Cemetery, Derbyshire, where she was laid to rest.

Visit the Ada Janet Ross Collection & Photo Gallery

Victoria Eraut, Class of 1905

Victoria Louisa Eraut was born on May 28, 1878 in Ottawa, Ontario. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1905. After graduating, she moved to British Columbia and joined the British Columbia Unit for overseas service. She enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps on September 1915 in London, England.

Nursing sister Eraut served in England, Salonika and France and was posted to the Duchess of Connaught’s Red Cross Hospital and No. 5 Canadian General Hospital in Salonika and France. She returned to Canada in 1919 and married Edward Exton in April 1920. They lived in British Columbia, where she was the Matron of the Port Alberni Hospital for several years before moving to Sprout Lake, Vancouver Island. She died on June 15, 1925.

Catherine DeNully Fraser, Class of 1906

Catherine DeNully Fraser was born January 15, 1879 in London, England. Her family moved to Winnipeg in 1898. In 1906, she graduated from Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing and in 1911 she accepted a position as special duty nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. She was visiting family in England when World War I began. She was accepted by St. John’s Ambulance for foreign service and was sent to France in October 1915 where she served at the Hospital Bristol, Parame, St. Malo, Ille-et, Vilaine. Nursing sister Fraser returned from overseas service in June 1919.

A letter written by Catherine DeNully Fraser was published in the Nurses’ Alumnae Journal about being accepted into service by St. John’s Ambulance.

October 9, 1914

Dear Miss Gray,

Before leaving for the Front, I want to send back my love to the Winnipeg General Hospital and all old friends and fellow members of the Alumnae, and to ask to be remembered by you, along with others of our number, who, I know, must be on their way with the Expeditionary Force, or already in active service. The Matron of the Dreadnought Seamen’s Hospital, at Greenwich, kindly put my name down for the Naval Reserves, along with some of her sisters who were volunteering, but when I found that nurses were really needed more for service abroad, I withdrew my name from the Naval list, and gave it to the Red Cross and St. John’s Ambulance, and the latter society has now accepted me for foreign service, and I am to leave with a party on Sunday morning, Oct. 11th, for the front, or very near it; anyway, I am glad to say, as I shall be able to share some of the danger with my two brothers, who are both taking part in the war.

I have been given the St. John’s Ambulance brassard and brooch-pin to wear, which I shall feel quite proud of, of course, but my old W.G.H. medal is what I treasure most of all, and what I shall wear along with the other, and I hope I may prove a credit to our school and be worthy of the honor of being given opportunity of serving the country in the dreadful crisis it is passing through.

With best love to yourself, affectionately yours,

Catherine DeNully Fraser

P.S. I was at a service for the soldiers and sailors in St. Alpha’s Greenwich, the other day, where General Wolfe is buried, and I saw the brass-plate over his tomb, with a Canadian Flag hanging about it.

C.De.N.F.

[Letter dated October 9th, 1914 to Miss Gray, Superintendent, Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing, published in January 1915 Nurses’ Alumnae Journal]

After returning from the war, she took a course at what was then the Neurological Institute of New York. The family moved to Montreal in either 1928 or 1929 and she joined the staff of the Royal Victoria Hospital, and also did some private nursing.

She died in Montreal on August 23, 1980 at the age of 101.

Flora Lawford, Class of 1906

Flora Lawford was born on August 19, 1883 in Rossburn, Manitoba. She graduated from Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1906.

During the war, she served with the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS) before enlisting in the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in September 1917. When serving with the CAMC, nursing sister Lawford was posted to No. 16 Canadian General Hospital, Orpington; No. 1 Canadian General Hospital, Etaples, France and No. 8 Canadian Stationary Hospital. She was discharged and returned to Canada in August 1919.

After the war, Flora was involved in private duty nursing in Winnipeg before marrying N.L. Nesbitt and moving to Chicago, Illinois. She died on July 23, 1961.

Helen Stewart, Class of 1906

Helen Louise Stewart was born on January 28, 1883 in London, England. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1906. In 1913, she was private nursing in California, however she returned to Winnipeg and accepted a position in charge of the Military Wards at Winnipeg General Hospital, before enlisting with the Canadian Army Medical Corps in November 1916.

Nursing sister Stewart served in both England and France between 1917-1919 and was posted to the No. 10 Canadian General Hospital, Brighton; No. 11 Canadian General Hospital, Bramshott; No. 2 Canadian General Hospital, Le Treport, France; No. 16 Canadian General Hospital, Orpington; and the Canadian Red Cross Officers Hospital. After the war, she married G.A. Balfour and they lived in California. She died on October 10, 1954.

Mary (Mae) Cobbe, Class of 1906

Mary Lisetta (Mae) Cobbe was born on September 4, 1885 in Baldur, Manitoba. She graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1906. After graduation, she moved to British Columbia and accepted as position as Lady Superintendent of the hospital at Golden. In 1911, she resigned her position as Superintendent to undertake private nursing in Vancouver. In 1912, she opened a private nursing home in Vancouver with Olive Coad (Class of 1910) as her assistant. She gave up her private nursing home that same year and began private nursing once again.

Mary joined the British Columbia Unit for overseas service in 1915 and enlisted with the Canadian Army Medical Corps in September 1915. Nursing sister Cobbe served in England and was posted to the No. 5 Canadian General Hospital and the Duchess of Connaught Red Cross Hospital until September 1916 when she resigned her position and was discharged. After the war she married Bradford W. Heyer and they lived in Vancouver, British Columbia.