Educator.
Born near Lindsay, Ontario on 22 December 1884, second son of George Johnston (1846-?) and Mary Johnston (1846-1924), at an early age he moved with his parents to Manitoba. He lived at Macdonald and took high school education in Portage la Prairie. He went into teaching and later received a BA degree (1926) from the University of Manitoba. He taught at Griswold School (?-?), Portage Creek School (?-?), Image Hill School (?-?), East Selkirk School (1905), and Elgin School (?-?) before becoming Principal of Sperling School (?-c1914).
He moved to St. Vital where he resided at 39 Essex Avenue and was Principal of Glenwood School (1914-1930, 1940-1950), Windsor School (1924-1930), and Norberry School (1930-?). He retired in January 1950, having served the youth of the St. Vital community for 36 years. He married Janet O. “Jessie” Waddell (1889-1982) on 23 June 1915 at Macdonald and had three children; Marjorie Orr Johnston (wife of William Nelson Prentice), Alice May Johnston (wife of John Russell Nock), and Raymond William George Johnston (c1919-1971).
He died at Shreveport Hospital in Louisiana on 15 March 1961 and was buried at Lakeview Memorial Gardens in Longview, Texas.
Obituary [Mary Johnston], Manitoba Free Press, 28 February 1924, page 5.
Marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
1916 Canada census, Library and Archives Canada.
“St. Vital Glenwood S.D. No. 1537,” Manitoba Free Press, 21 July 1914, page 13.
“Glenwood holds recognition night,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 June 1949, page 9.
“Newlyweds plan to make home in California,” Winnipeg Free Press, 22 September 1949, page 17.
“St. Vital opens collegiate,” Winnipeg Free Press, 21 January 1950, page 3.
“Engagement notices,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 September 1950, page 18.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 16 March 1961, page 34.
“History of St. Vital Schools,” St. Vital Lance, 10 September 1970, page 22. [St. Vital Museum, History of St. Vital Schools file]
Obituary [Raymond William George Johnston], Winnipeg Free Press, 5 February 1971, page 29.
FindAGrave, Lakeview Memorial Gardens.
Henderson’s Winnipeg Directories, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 25 October 2014
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