Educator.
Born at Paisley, Scotland in July 1898, daughter of Robert Oakes (1865-?) and Janet Oakes (1873-?), she immigrated to Canada and resided in Miami from, during which she worked at Miami School (1920-1928). Moving to Winnipeg in 1928, her worked for the Winnipeg School Division at Cecil Rhodes School (1930-1943), where she met widower and fellow teacher James Nicol Laing (1890-1946, formerly married to Janet Merilee Tripney). The two married between August 1942 and September 1943. Following her husband’s death, she resumed her teaching career at John M. King School (1947-1952) before transferring to St. Joseph’s Vocational School as teacher (1952-1954) and Principal (1954-1964), after which she retired. She was a member of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society and the Charleswood United Church, where she served as Vice-President of the UCW, leader of the Junior Choir, and a member of the Senior Choir. She died at her Winnipeg home, 5031 Roblin Boulevard, on 24 April 1965 and was buried in the Miami Cemetery.
Birth, marriage, and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1911 Canada census, Library and Archives Canada.
Obituary [Janet Laing], Winnipeg Tribune, 22 August 1921, page 5.
“800 attend annual Cecil Rhodes concert,” Winnipeg Tribune, 20 March 1937, page 29.
“In honor of Mrs. James N. Laing [...],” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 September 1943, page 8.
“Mr. and Mrs. Pawlinsky [Engagement notice],” Winnipeg Free Press, 25 April 1950, page 12.
“Laing - Pawlinsky,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 May 1950, page 10.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 27 April 1965, page 26.
Death registrations, British Columbia Vital Statistics.
Obituary [Howard Henry Oakes], Winnipeg Free Press, 1 March 1980, page 34.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 25 February 2024
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