Educator.
Born in New Brunswick in March 1875, daughter of Margaret Emeline Brittain (1838-1923) and William H. Colwell (1838-1921), she resided at St. John (1911) and held the station as Principal of Okanagan College. In 1913, she moved to Winnipeg and joined the teaching staff of the Winnipeg School Board where she taught English at Kelvin High School (1913-1927), was appointed Supervisor of Primary Grades (1927-?), and was Principal of William Whyte School (1930-1939).
During the Second World War, she taught English at La Verendrye School to prospective military enlistees for the Royal Canadian Air Force. By the mid-1950s, she had relocated to Vancouver before returning to Winnipeg where she was involved (1957-1958) with Indigenous and Metis communities on behalf of the Women’s Missionary Society of the United Church of Canada.
In May 1958, she took leave of her mission work to get married, after which her whereabouts are unknown.
1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
Obituaries [Colwell], Winnipeg Tribune, 16 July 1923, page 2.
“Potential airmen start opening class on Monday,” Winnipeg Tribune, 22 November 1941, page 2.
“R.C.A.F. hustle,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 November 1941, page 3.
Obituary [Mrs. Mary Ida Vincent], Winnipeg Tribune, 6 September 1946, page 4.
Winnipeg School Days, 1871-1950 by W. G. Pearce, Winnipeg School Division, Education Resource Centre.
[Photo caption], Winnipeg Free Press, 27 August 1957, page 11.
“WMS entertains mission workers,” Winnipeg Tribune, 16 May 1958, page 14.
Cedar Hill Cemetery burial transcriptions [Saint John New Brunswick], FindAGrave.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 5 April 2025
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