Memorable Manitobans: Gretta Isabel Cheyne Somerville (1911-1977)

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Gretta Isabel Cheyne Somerville
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Educator.

Born at Winnipeg on 10 February 1911, daughter of Mary Elizabeth Bryans (1873-1956) and James Cheyne (1867-1921), she attended Champlain School, St. John’s High School, and Central Normal School.

Her career in education included work as both teacher (1929-1936) and Principal (1934-1936) of St. Andrews School, after which she joined the Winnipeg School Division and taught at Faraday School (1936-1940, 1943).

On 28 June 1940, she married Robert Alexander Somerville (?-?) at the St. John’s Anglican Cathedral. They resided at the Cambridge Apartments and had a son, Thomas J. C. Somerville. She was also President of the St. John’s High School Graduates Choral Society (1935).

The family later moved to California where she died at Redwood City on 9 March 1977, with her remains returned to Manitoba and interred in the St. John’s Cathedral Cemetery.

Sources:

Birth and death [James Cheyne] registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“Free Press Provincial Spelling Competition,” Manitoba Free Press, 21 April 1924, page 10.

“Prizes for Selkirk festival presented,” Manitoba Free Press, 28 March 1931, page 14.

“Plans tea,” Winnipeg Tribune, 11 May 1935, page 12.

“Gretta Isabel Cheyne weds Lieut. Robert A. Somerville,” Winnipeg Tribune, 2 July 1940, page 11.

Obituary [Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Cheyne], Winnipeg Free Press, 5 November 1956, page 38.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 16 March 1977, page 54.

Saint John's Anglican Cathedral Cemetery burial transcriptions, FindAGrave.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 5 May 2023

Memorable Manitobans

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