Educator, journalist, municipal official, farmer.
Born at the family homestead in the Rural Municipality of Stanley, one mile south of Burwalde School, on 16 July 1896, son of Gerhard Braun (1855-?) and Anna Janzen (1856-?), he attended Burwalde School and Winkler School, later attaining BSA and BEd degrees. Following teacher training, he began a 44-year teaching career in the 1910s, working at Greenfarm School (1915-1916), Haskett School (1918-1919), Mennonite Collegiate Institute (?-?), Gretna School (1929-1942, Principal), Winkler School (1944-1958, Principal), Viscount Alexander School (1958-1959), and St. John’s High School (1959-1967). For his educational contributions, he was given the Manitoba Centennial Medal by the Manitoba Historical Society.
He was active in the community and served on several Board of Directors, including the Teachers’ Retirement Allowances Fund, Co-op Vegetable Oils Limited (Secretary), CFAM Radio of Altona (Vice-President), and the Winkler Hospital District (Chairman). He was President of the Rhineland-Stanley Teachers’ Association, an executive for the Gretna-Altona local of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society, and a trustee of the Bethel Mennonite Church. He was a Social Credit Party nominee for the 1953 provincial general election, losing the candidacy to George Loeppky. He operated a 980-acre farm and was a Gretna village council member before moving to Winnipeg. He worked as press reporter for Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg Tribune, Mennonite Weekly Review, Red River Valley Echo, Winkler Progress, and Morden Times, as well as a contributor to the Mennonite Encyclopedia and Time Magazine.
On 29 June 1933, he married teacher Mary Friesen (1910-1987) at Gretna and they had three daughters and one son.
He died at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital on 5 June 1986.
Birth and marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
“Carman man socred candidate,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 April 1953, page 13.
“Peter Brown [photo caption,” Winnipeg Free Press, 21 February 1958, page 7.
“Teachers’ Society appointment,” Glenboro Gazette, 27 March 1958, page 1.
A History of the Town of Winkler, Manitoba by Frank Brown, 1973.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 6 June 1986, page 54.
Obituary [Mary Brown], Winnipeg Free Press, 14 May 1987, page 54.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 4 March 2024
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