Cleric.
Born at Cheshire, England on 23 November 1865, son of Joseph Wilkinson and Anne Bashford, his family immigrated to Canada in 1870 and settled at Ingersoll, Ontario. He arrived in Manitoba in 1881 and settled at Foxwarren. He was educated at Ontario public schools, Columbia College (Westminster, BC), and Wesley College in Winnipeg where he earned BA (1899) and Theology (1899) degrees as well as being ordained by the Winnipeg Methodist Conference. He was later awarded an Honourary Doctorate of Divinity (1931) by the University of Winnipeg. On 19 September 1899, he married Nellie Gertrude Cleveland (1873-1941) at Winnipeg and the couple had two daughters: Gertrude Ida Wilkinson (1905-?) and Blanche Margaret Wilkinson (1909-?, wife of Thomas Bruce Pickersgill). He was the Pastor of Methodist Churches at Killarney, Carberry Methodist Church (1903-1907), Virden (c1909-1911), Dauphin, and Victoria Avenue Methodist Church at Brandon prior to the outbreak of the First World War
He served as a Chaplain with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces and was initially posted with the 79th Battalion. In France, he was with the 67th Battalion at Vimy Ridge, as well as with the 4th Division, 124th Battalion, Siege and Heavy Artillery. He later worked with the 3rd Canadian Stationary Hospital at Doulens, as well as the 15th Canadian Hospital at Taplow, Bucks. One of his war experiences was presiding over the burial of 65 men in a single day.
After returning from the war, he was appointed as a Pastor to Souris (?-1922), with subsequent postings at Gordon Methodist (1922-1924), Gladstone (1924-?), and Treherne United (?-?), before returning to Winnipeg as the Assistant Minister (1936-1940) to Rev. W. E. Donnelly at Young United Church, after which he retired. He was also President of the Manitoba Conference (1923-1924), Chairman for both the Portage District and Dauphin District, Chaplain of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons, and a member of the Masons and the Gladstone Board of Trade.
He died at his Winnipeg residence, 157 Chestnut Street, on 25 November 1941 and was buried in Elmwood Cemetery.
Birth, marriage, and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1901 and 1911 Canada censes, Automated Genealogy.
Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.
“Pickerskill - Wilkinson wedding service is read by the bride&rsoquo;s father,” Winnipeg Tribune, 17 November 1936, page 6.
“Named Assistant Pastor at Young,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 November 1936, page 20.
“Dr. S. Wilkinson named Associate Minister of Young United Church,” Winnipeg Tribune, 7 November 1936, page 37.
“Retires from Young,” Winnipeg Tribune, 2 July 1940, page 19.
“Dr. Wilkinson, aged 76, dies on Tuesday,” Winnipeg Free Press, 25 November 1941, page 9.
“Dr. Wilkinson, long Methodist leader, dies,” Winnipeg Tribune, 25 November 1941, page 22.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 26 November 1941, page 2.
“Mrs. S. Wilkinson, 68, dies early Saturday,” Winnipeg Free Press, 13 December 1941, page 7.
“Pastor’s widow passes at 68,” Winnipeg Tribune, 15 December 1941, page 20.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 10 October 2017
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