Memorable Manitobans: Nels Pearson (1887-1963)

Building contractor.

Born at Loberod, Skone, Sweden in 1887, he moved to the United States in 1906. He came to Winnipeg in 1907 and worked as a foreman for the Harper Construction Company. In 1919, he founded the Pearson-Burleigh Construction Company which in 1932 became Pearson Brothers Construction. In 1947, when his nephew Richard Josephson joined the company, it became the Pearson Construction Company. He was its President (1919-1947) and Treasurer (1945-1958) until retirement in 1958. He received an honorary life membership in the Winnipeg Builders Exchange (1960).

On 18 January 1915, he married Elvera Kullberg (1887-1986) at the Swedish Zion Lutheran Church and they had one daughter, Doreen Pearson (?-?, wife of James J. Catalano). He was a member of the Vasa Orden of America, Swedish Old Timers' Organization, First English Lutheran Church, Masons (Sturgeon Creek Lodge), and IOOF (Hiawatha Lodge). In 1957, he was inducted into the Order of the Buffalo Hunt as a member of the Pine to Palm Cavalcade.

He died at the Winnipeg General Hospital on 14 September 1963 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.

See also:

Manitoba Business: Pearson-Burleigh Construction Company / Pearson Brothers Construction / Pearson Construction Company

Sources:

Marriage registration [Nels Pearson, Elevira Kullberg], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Obituary, Winnipeg Tribune, 16 September 1963.

Obituary [Elvera Pearson], Winnipeg Free Press, 16 July 1986, page 48.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 9 May 2023

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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