Memorable Manitobans: Violet Elizabeth Ballantyne (1871-1952)

Editor and publisher.

Born on a farm in Grey County, Ontario on 5 December 1871, daughter of ? Patterson, she came to Manitoba at the age of 11 and settled at Stonewall. In 1898, she married a Dr. Henderson and went with him to Emerson where she divided her time between home and working in his medical office. After his death in 1908, she returned to Stonewall.

On 21 December 1911, she married William Byron Ballantyne (1870-1925), editor and publisher of the Emerson Journal, returning with him to Emerson. This began a life-long career in journalism. In 1925, their printing house and equipment was destroyed in a fire, and her husband died six weeks later. She wanted to return to her family in Stonewall, but friends persuaded her to stay in Emerson and rebuild the paper. During the Second World War, she put out the paper with the help of high school girls. She also served 21 years as Honorary President of the Manitoba Branch of the Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association.

In late 1946, she retired and moved to Winnipeg. She died there on 12 May 1952 and was buried in the Stonewall Cemetery.

Sources:

Marriage registration [Violet Elizabeth Henderson, William Byron Ballentyne, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“Emerson woman editor honored,” Winnipeg Tribune, 7 November 1946. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B9]

Death registration [Violet Ballantyneviolet], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 14 May 1952, page 38.

“Mrs. Violet Ballantyne,” Lac du Bonnet Springfield Leader, 20 May 1952, page 2.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 23 August 2024

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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