Educator.
Born in the Northwest Territories [later Saskatchewan] at Lakes End[?] on 27 December 1899, daughter of Wilhelmina Susanna S. Jackson (1871-?) and Robert Kearns (1845-?), her early years were spent at Qu’Appelle before moving to Winnipeg where she attended high school and the Central Normal School. Her career in education included teaching at Weiden School (1930-1931, 1939-1940) and being Principal of Petersfield School (1942-1947), Birds Hill School (1947-1950, Principal 1947-1949), Stephenfield School (1954-1956), and Fishers Siding School (1958-1960), and after which she retired from the staff of Swan River Collegiate Institute (1960-1961).
On 4 March 1925, she was married to John Telfer McGregor (?-?) by Reverend Robert Benjamin McElheran at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Winnipeg. She had two children: Bernice Agnes Wilhelmine McGregor (b c1926) and Allan Robert Roland McGregor (b c1929) and, in addition to migrating with her employment, her family lived at Morden and Rorketon during the 1930s. In May 1938, she separated from John and retained custody of their children. She filed for divorce in 1944 and completed the process in February 1945. In 1952, she married Clarence Reginald Cochran (1909-1990). They lived in the Lavinia School District until retiring to Shoal Lake in 1973.
She died at Hamiota on 26 June 1981 and was buried in the Hamiota Cemetery.
Birth registrations [Isabella Wilhelmina Melba Kearns], Saskatchewan Vital Statistics.
Marriage registrations [Wilhelmina Isabel Kearns to John Telfer McGregor], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1901 Canada census [Mebba Kearns], Automated Genealogy.
1931 Canada census, Library and Archives Canada.
Winnipeg divorce files (ATG 0009A), #92/44 - Wilhelmine Isabel McGregor vs John Telfer McGregor, GR0425, Archives of Manitoba.
Hamiota Cemetery burial transcriptions, FindAGrave.
Obituary, Shoal Lake Star, 9 July 1981, page 10.
Obituary [Clarence Reginald Cochran], Brandon Sun, 3 August 1990, Canada/World section page 17.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 1 December 2024
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