Memorable Manitobans: Eric Leonard Jonasson (1948-1998)

Click to enlarge

Eric Leonard Jonasson
Click to enlarge

Genealogist.

Born at Winnipeg in 1948, eldest son of Victor Otto Jonasson (1924-1978) and Eileen Margaret Dipple (1922-2011), he attended Britannia School, Assiniboine School, and St. James Collegiate. He graduated from the Technical Vocational High School in 1968 and studied History at the University of Minnesota. After establishing a mapping firm in Winnipeg in 1975, he became involved in family history. He wrote Tracing Your Icelandic Family Tree, organized the Manitoba Genealogical Society in 1976 (and was its founding President), and wrote The Canadian Genealogical Handbook (1978). Jonasson formed Wheatfield Press in 1975 to publish his work.

On 4 May 1974, he married Elizabeth Molly “Liz” Cazakoff at Kamsack, Saskatchewan and they had two children. He served as a St. James-Assiniboia school trustee (1986-1998), President (1991-1992) and Vice-President (1998) of the Manitoba Association of School Trustees, and President of the Canadian School Boards Association (1996). He also served on the boards of the Manitoba Historical Society, Red River Valley Heritage Society, and Icelandic Canadian magazine. He was President of the Unitarian Church of Winnipeg (1984-1986).

He died suddenly at his Winnipeg home on 11 November 1998.

Sources:

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 13 November 1998.

Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.

Obituary [Eileen Margaret Jonasson], Winnipeg Free Press, 4 November 2011.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 16 March 2023

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:

Custom Search

Browse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Browse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!