Educator, school inspector.
Born at Owen Sound, Ontario on 13 June 1869, son of Owen Roblin Van Dusen (1822-1903) and Mary Ann Shuter Washburn (?-1891), he worked briefly in the Great Lakes shipping industry. He then attended the Ottawa Normal School before moving to Winnipeg where he obtained a first-class teaching certificate in August 1897.
He taught at Clinton School (1897-1898), Stockton School (1898-1899), and Emmeline School (1900) and was the Principal of Clearwater School (1901-1902), Elm Creek School (1904-1905), and Hamiota School (1906-1913). In 1913, he was appointed a Manitoba School Inspector, based at Stonewall. He served until 1919 after which he returned to Ontario.
On 20 November 1905, he married Mary Sophia Rattliffe (1885-1943) in the RM of Brenda. They had four children: Mary Evelyn van Dusen (1909-1999), George Owen van Dusen (1913-?), Elizabeth May van Dusen (1916-2016), and Conrad Francis van Dusen (1925-?).
He died at the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital in Picton, Ontario on 12 January 1971. He was commemorated by the Van Dusen School District.
“Teachers' exams,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 August 1897, page 4.
Marriage registration [Washburne Van Dusen, Minnie Rattliffe], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Birth registrations [Mary Van Dusen, George Van Dusen], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
Annual Reports of the Manitoba Department of Education, Manitoba Legislative Library.
“New officials,” Manitoba Free Press, 7 June 1913, page 20.
Washburne Vandusen, FindAGrave.
We thank Nathan Kramer, Ed Morris, and MaryKay Morris for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 6 October 2026
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:
1975 | 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 | 2025 | 2026
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!
