Educator.
Born in the RM of Eriksdale on 26 October 1918, one of seven children of Wilson James Tweddell (1883-1958) and Mary Bella McDonald (1894-1988), she grew up on a farm near Fisherton. As a teenager, she moved to Winnipeg to complete high school and attend the Central Normal School.
She taught at Pine Ridge School (1939) and other schools in rural Manitoba before returning to Winnipeg in 1942 where she taught at Lord Roberts School (1946-1947), King Edward School (1947-1948), Aberdeen School (1951-1952, 1954-1961), Norquay School (1952-1954), and Grant Park High School (1967-1968). She served as Vice-Principal of River Heights School (1968-1971) and Elmwood High School (1973-?), and Principal of Montrose School (1977-1980). She completed BA, BEd, and MEd degrees from the University of Manitoba and a PhD degree in secondary education administration from the University of North Dakota (1977).
On 10 July 1948, she married sports scout J. Bruce Cheatley (1910-1989) at Winnipeg. They had no children. She was President of the University Womens Club of Winnipeg (1981-1983), President of the Winnipeg Teachers’ Association, President of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society (?-?), and a founding member of the Manitoba Research Council. She was a long-time supporter of arts and culture including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and School, and social service institutions including the United Nations Association in Canada. In recognition of her community service, she was inducted into the Order of Canada (2002) and she received the International Achievement Award from the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society (1983), Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002), and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012).
She died at Winnipeg on 20 November 2017.
Birth registration [Mary Alice Elizabeth Tweddell], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Marriage registration [Wilson James Tweddell], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1921 Canada census, Ancestry.
“Engagement notices,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 June 1948, page 12.
“School posts filled,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 May 1973, page 74.
“Achievement in education brings Cheatley high honor,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 September 1983, page 20.
Obituary [Mary Bella Tweddell], Winnipeg Free Press, 8 February 1988, page 31.
Obituary [J. Bruce Cheatley], Winnipeg Free Press, 17 April 1989, page 36.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 9 December 2017.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
We thank Avery Gillman for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 18 September 2023
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