Memorable Manitobans: William Thomas Manser (1869-1958)

Building contractor.

Born at Sussex, England in 1869, he immigrated to Canada in 1905 with his wife Sadie Mason (1875-1921) and daughter Violet Manser (1901-?). They settled at Virden and subsequently had a son, William Thomas Manser (1911-1975, son-in-law of Herbert Hanks Goulter). He was responsible for construction of many of the region’s prominent buildings, including schools, churches, public auditorium, offices, homes, and bridges. He retired in 1944. He died on 16 May 1958 while driving from Virden to Carberry, and was buried in the Virden Cemetery. He is commemorated by the Manser Bridge in Virden.

Some of his construction works in Manitoba included:

Structure

Location

Year

Status

Virden Municipal Building and Auditorium

228 Wellington Street West, Virden

1911-1912

 

Dominion Post Office Building

Nelson Street West, Virden

1914

 

Concrete Beam Bridge No. 64

Gopher Creek, RM of Wallace-Woodworth

1915

 

Concrete Beam Bridge No. 84

Bosshill Creek, RM of Wallace-Woodworth

1915

 

Concrete Arch Bridge No. 563

Gopher Creek, RM of Wallace-Woodworth

1920

Demolished (?)

Safeway Store

512 Seventh Avenue South, Virden

1929

 

Sources:

1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

“250 completed stores in west firm’s program,” Winnipeg Tribune, 21 September 1929, page 32.

“Virden builder dies in car,” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 May 1958, page 15.

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

We thank Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 16 December 2022

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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