Memorable Manitobans: Frances Elizabeth Willard Gray Ateah (1910-1990)

Educator.

Born on a farm in the Rural Municipality of Franklin on 23 March 1910, daughter of Leila Ethel Spackman (1879-1965) and Frank Varley Gray (c1878-1964), she taught at Dover School (1935-1936) and was Principal of Victoria Beach School (1941-1943) and Kirkfield Park School (1944-1952). She married Andrew Aman “Andy” Ateah on 17 May 1942 at 714 Goulding Street in Winnipeg. They initially lived at at 517 Bonner in North Kildonan, later moving to Assiniboia. They divorced in November 1951. Her second marriage was to Claude Kapitan (c1905-1959). She had no children. The remainder of her teaching career was spent at Sisler High School (1960-1975), after which she spent several years in retirement operating a guest home. She died at the Grace Hospital on 12 March 1990 and was buried in the Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens.

Sources:

Birth registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“Frank V. Gray,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 January 1944, page 18.

“Absolute decrees of divorce granted to 12,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 November 1951, page 14.

Winnipeg divorce files (ATG 0009a), 103/51 - Frances Elizabeth Ateah & Andrew Aman Ateah, GR2154, Archives of Manitoba.

Obituary [Claude Kapitan], Winnipeg Free Press, 9 October 1959, page 25.

Obituary [Frank Varley Gray], Winnipeg Free Press, 22 January 1964, page 33.

Obituary [Leila Ethel Gray], Winnipeg Free Press, 3 August 1965, page 20.

Obituary [Frances Kapitan], Winnipeg Free Press, 14 March 1990, page 41.

Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.

We thank Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 2 July 2022

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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