Educator.
Born near Souris on 20 December 1892, son of John M. Anderson (1863-1939) and Mary Catherine McLean (1872-?), he grew up in Elgin and attended Elgin School. He passed his grade 11 entrance examinations (1907), attended the Brandon Normal School, joined an organized lacrosse team (c1909), and began teaching in rural Manitoba. On 3 October 1917, he married fellow teacher Nina Marian McMorran (1893-1983) in Somerset and they had two children: Robert Allan “Bob” Anderson (1924-1979, husband of Patricia Faulkner) and Marie Findlay Anderson (1931-2010, wife of Richard Gordon Hooker).
In February 1918, he took leave of his job at Erickson School (1916-1918; Principal 1917-1918) and enlisted for military service at Winnipeg. From there, he travelled to Toronto and, in May 1918, was mobilized into the Royal Air Force. He was demobilized in January 1919 and returned that month to his work as Principal of Erickson School (1919-1923, 1924-1929) and later served at Ninga School (1930-1938) and Alexander School (1939-1941). During the Second World War, he joining the Royal Canadian Air Force and was stationed in the Air Training Command No. 2 at Service Flying Training School No. 12 and the Wireless School No. 3, and in the post-war years worked for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs as a Supervisor (c1945-1948) with the Canadian Vocational Training Schools. For his military service in both World Wars, he earned the War Medal (1914-1918), War Medal (1939-1945), and Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.
In 1948, he moved to Selkirk and resumed his grade-school career in the Selkirk School District as the Principal of Victoria School (1948-1956) and Central School (1956-1958), after which he returned to classroom teaching at Central School (1958-1959) and Robert Smith School (1959-1965). After his formal retirement in 1965, he worked at Upper Fort Garry and was awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal (1967). He was President of the Royal Canadian Legion (Selkirk Branch No. 151), Army Navy Veterans, and the Selkirk Rotary Club (1951-1952).
He died at Betel Home in Selkirk on 13 January 1981 and was buried in the Glen Eden Memorial Gardens.
Birth and marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
1921 Canada census, Ancestry.
“Departmental examinations [Entrance examinations],” Manitoba Free Press, 27 July 1907, page 37.
“Grades eleven and twelve departmental examination results are announced [Practical Arts’ course],”, Winnipeg Evening Tribune, 31 July 1925, page 8.
“Service clubs elect officers,” Selkirk Enterprise, 24 May 1951, page 1.
“Centennial medals to Selkirk citizens,” Selkirk Enterprise, 24 January 1968, page 12.
“About people: Allan (Andy) Anderson,”, Selkirk Enterprise, 9 December 1970, page 9.
“Retirement tea held of Miss McQueen,”, Selkirk Enterprise, 2 June 1971, page 1.
Annual Reports of the Manitoba Department of Education, Manitoba Legislative Library.
“Mr. and Mrs. Anderson mark golden anniversary,”, Selkirk Enterprise, 19 October 1977, page 16.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 15 January 1981, page 57.
Obituary [Nina Marion Anderson], Winnipeg Free Press, 10 September 1983, page 22.
Glawson, Clark, Caldwell, McMorran family tree, Ancestry.
We thank Bill Anderson, grandson of Andy Anderson, for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 8 February 2023
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