Memorable Manitobans: William Theodor “Bill” Meseman (1914-1997)

Forester, horticulturist.

Born at Camper on 24 December 1914, he married Paulina Freund (1912-1996) at Steinbach on 17 October 1937 and they had two sons, including William Gordon Meseman (1938-2015). The family farmed in the Kerry School District and he also worked as a towerman and tree nursery foreman at Woodridge and Marchand during the summer months.

In 1947, he began working full-time as a provincial forest ranger at Piney before being transferred as the Superintendent of the Pineland Forest Nursery in 1956. There he was responsible for growing millions of trees to aid in reforestation programs around Manitoba. He retired to Steinbach in 1978 then worked as a community volunteer, detecting dutch elm disease along town streets, coordinating a visiting program for seniors, and serving as the President of the Steinbach New Horizons Club (1982-1984).

He died at Steinbach on 11 April 1996 and was buried in the St. John's Lutheran Cemetery.

Sources:

Birth registration [William Theodor Meseman], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Marriage registration [William Theodore Meseman, Pauline Freund], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Obituary [Paulina Meseman], Winnipeg Free Press, 13 April 1996, page 50.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 12 January 1997, page 77.

Obituary [William Gordon Meseman], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 February 2015.

We thank Bev Kornelsen for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 22 March 2024

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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