Educator.
Born at Victoria, British Columbia, on 17 September 1912, son of John Spencer Free (1879-1944) and Martha Anne Miller (1887-1980), he moved to Benito with his family by 1926 and became a school teacher. He taught at Wellwood School (1935-1938) and served as Principal of Minnedosa South School (1938-1941).
During the Second World War, he went overseas with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada. Upon demobiliation, he joined the staff of the Winnipeg School District, teaching at Mulvey School (1946-1960) and Grant Park High School (1960-1976), after which he retired in the summer of 1976.
While teaching at Wellwood, he met Kathleen Evelyn Freeborn (1911-1991) and they were married at Winnipeg on 7 October 1937 and together had one daughter, Janet Ruth Free (1941-2023, wife of John Omelchuk). In 1977, he returned to British Columbia and took up residence at Vernon.
He died at the Vernon Jubilee Hospital on 11 February 1998 and his cremains were interred in the Coldstream Municipal Cemetery.
1926 Canada census, Library and Archives Canada.
“Around town [The engagement is annnounced of Kathleen Evelyn ...],” Brandon Daily Sun, 27 September 1937, page 10.
Marriage registrations [James William Free to Kathleen Evelyn Freeborn], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Death registrations [John Spencer Free], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Death registrations [Martha Anne Free, Kathleen Evelyn Free, James William Free], British Columbia Vital Statistics.
Obituary [Martha Anne Free], Winnipeg Free Press, 26 February 1980, page 39.
Obituary [James William Free], Winnipeg Free Press, 24 February 1998, page C10.
Obituary [Janet Ruth Omelchuk], Castanet.
School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.
Coldstream Municipal Cemetery burial transcriptions, FindAGrave.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 22 October 2025
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
