Educator, school inspector.
Born on a farm in Grey County, Ontario on 30 April 1861, the second in a family of five children, he came to Manitoba in 1886 and, after teaching in several country schools, he was at Crystal City School (1888-1891) and later Principal at the Deloraine High School (1892-1907). In 1907, he was appointed a provincial school inspector based at Deloraine and, in 1913, he assumed a similar position at Brandon. He stayed there two years before being appointed to the teaching staff of the Winnipeg Normal School, retiring in June 1925 due to ill health.
On 5 December 1894, he married Ida Jane Greenway (1869-1949, daughter of Thomas Greenway) at Crystal City. They had six children: Elva Winona Wright (1895-1977, wife of F. J. Patterson), Thomas Greenway Wright (1897-1987), Willard Arthur Wright (1899-?), Ross Grant Wright (1902-1992), Harvey David Wright (1906-1966), and Donald H. Wright (1907-1977). He was a member of Young United Church, Masons, IOOF, Deloraine Curling Club, Canadian Club of Winnipeg, Schoolmasters’ Club, and was a representative of the Teachers’ Association on the Manitoba Advisory Board of Education.
He died at his Winnipeg home, 133 Ethelbert Street, on 1 November 1925 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.
Marriage and birth registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
“Insp. Willows succumbs to sudden attack” newspaper clipping dated 7 November 1925. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B8]
Obituary, Manitoba Free Press, 2 November 1925.
“Normal School loses popular staff member,” Manitoba Free Press, 3 November 1925, page 3.
“Former Premier’s daughter dies,” Winnipeg Free Press, 15 March 1949, page 10.
We thank Karen Edgerton and Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 11 August 2024
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:
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
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!
