Community activist.
Born at Dauphin on 12 February 1920, daughter of Martha Ellen Douse (1893-1964) and Agnew Rufus Ball (1884-1956), she was active in her support of church and community.
On 21 September 1946, she married Len Van Roon at Charleswood and they subsequently had four children while tending the family farm. They were instrumental in establishment of the Charleswood Community Museum, and it was dedicated to them in April 2007. Together, they created the book Photos and Fragments of Charleswood History celebrating Charleswood’s early history, and for many years toured school classrooms to encourage children to learn about local history.
She led the Charleswood United Church Sunday School, was a playground leader for Charleswood Recreation, and served for a dozen years on the board of the Assiniboine South School Division. As a result of her influence, an elite choir, Pembina Trails Voices, was founded. She helped to establish a war memorial recognizing Charleswood veterans who lost their lives in military service, and helped to preserve the Assiniboine Forest, Wellington Crescent bike path, and Caron pioneer farmhouse. She also worked with Brownies, Meals on Wheels, and the Charleswood Historical Society.
In recognition of her exemplary community service, she received the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award (1998), Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002), and a Heritage Winnipeg Distinguished Service Award. She and her family were commemorated by the Van Roon Prairie Garden along the Harte Trail.
She died at Winnipeg on 10 February 2011.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Van Roon Prairie Garden (Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Caron House (50 Cass Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Charleswood Municipal Hall / Charleswood Community Museum (5006 Roblin Boulevard, Winnipeg)
Marriage registration [Martha Ellen Douse, Agnew Rufus Ball], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Birth registration [Verna Alma Ball], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Obituary [Agnew Rufus Ball], Winnipeg Tribune, 8 May 1956, page 19.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 12 February 2011, page C16.
Photos and Fragments of Charleswood History: A Collection of Historic Photographs of Our Community and the Stories They Tell by Len Van Roon & Verna Van Roon, Charleswood Historical Society, 2003.
We thank Jill Paskewitz (Charleswood Historical Society) for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 29 October 2026
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 SearchBrowse 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 | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1975 | 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 | 2025 | 2026
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
