Memorable Manitobans: John Francis “Frank” Morrison (1876-1963)

Dental surgeon.

Born at Waddington, New York on 1 May 1876, son of physician John Morrison (1840-1910) and Anna Markland Shiriff (1849-1912, sister of James Shirriff), brother of Alexander Shirriff Morrison and George Frederick Morrison, he was educated at Ogdensburg, New York. The family came to Pierson in 1892 where his father had a medical practice. He taught in rural schools for eight years, including at Lyleton School (1895-1896), before going to Chicago, Illinois where he attended the Northwestern Dental College, graduating in 1905. He had a dental practise at Pierson (1906) and Virden before enlisting in the Canadian Army Dental Corps of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in April 1915. He went overseas in December 1915 and worked at the Duchess of Connaught Hospital at Taplow (England) and the 9th Field Ambulance in France until October 1918. He returned to Taplow then went to Headquarters in London, working in the Officers Hospital there. He returned to Canada and was Commanding Officer of the Manitoba Dental Corps at Military District No. 10 (Tuxedo Hospital) until 1921. He opened a dental practice at Winnipeg in 1922.

He was married three times. On 21 August 1907, he married Millicent Vaughan Struthers (1886-1976) at Winnipeg and they had one son, William Francis Morrison (1909-1989). On 22 April 1922, he married nurse Clara May Hood (1874-1948) at Winnipeg. Finally, in 1951, he married Bessie Hazel Burns (1894-1983). He was a member of the Manitoba Dental Association (Secretary 1924-1956, Registrar and Treasurer for ten years), Canadian Dental Association, Western Canada Dental Society, Masons (Past Worshipful Master, Lebanon Lodge, Virden, Scottish Rite, 32nd Degree), Men’s Musical Club, Philharmonic Choir, and Westminster United Church. He lived at 75 Bannerman Avenue in 1915, 105 Clarke Street in 1925, and 184 Brock Street in 1948.

He died at the Deer Lodge Hospital on 13 February 1963 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.

Sources:

1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

Birth and marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Attestation papers, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.

Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.

Obituary [Clara May Morrison], Winnipeg Free Press, 29 April 1948, page 28.

“Rites held for Mrs. J. Morrison,” Winnipeg Tribune, 29 April 1948, page 10.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 15 February 1963, page 25.

Harvests of Time: History of the R.M. of Edward by Edward History Book Committee, 1983, pages 164, 186.

Obituary [Bessie Hazel Morrison], Winnipeg Free Press, 31 October 1983, page 45.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

We thank M. L. Stubbs, Darryl Toews, and Margaret Price for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 9 May 2023

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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