Educator.
Born in North Wales on 24 April 1884, son of a Welsh father and Scottish mother, he graduated from Bangor University and worked as an educator in England prior to his immigration to Canada in 1911.
He taught at Brookside School (1912-1913), Barrows School (1913-1914), and Oakhurst School (1923-1925), and was Principal of Prosperity School / Garson School (1914-1918), Minitonas School (1918-1921), and Elva School (1925-1928). He also worked for the Department of Public Works based out of Cranberry Portage. In 1928, he moved to The Pas.
He married Emily Amelia Elton Martin (1887-1975) and they had four children: Jack Williams (1913-1987), Ewart Williams (1915-1931), Kenneth Bruce Williams (1924-?), and Margaret Patricia “Peggy” Williams (1931-1992, wife of Kenward Routley). He was a member of the Masons (Minitonas Lodge) and Christ Church Anglican.
He died at St. Anthony's General Hospital at The Pas on 1 August 1949 and was buried in The Pas Lakeside Cemetery.
1916, 1921, and 1926 Canada censuses, Library and Archives Canada.
Birth registrations [Jack Williams, Ewart Williams, Kenneth Bruce Williams], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Death registrations [Ewart Williams, John Robert Williams], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Death registrations [Jack Williams], British Columbia Vital Statistics.
“J. R. Williams dies at The Pas,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 August 1949, page 25.
Obituary, The Pas Northern Mail, 10 August 1949, pages 1 & 6.
Death registrations [Emily Amelia Williams, Margaret Patricia Routley], British Columbia Vital Statistics.
Lakeside Cemetery burial transcriptions, FindAGrave.
We thank Tim Routley for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 6 April 2026
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