George Nelson JACKSON (1861-1944)

George Nelson JACKSON (1861-1944)

George was born at Columbus, Ontario on 04 June 1861, the son of James Jackson and Sarah Stephenson. He spent his boyhood on the farm near St. Mary’s, Ontario, later moving to Hamilton.

In 1887, he married Lucy Bowes (1861-1926) of Hamilton, Ontario and they had two children: Marion Turiza (1891-?) and George Herbert Jackson (1896-1987). In 1932, he married Miriam Edith (Hooper) Lawrie (1864-1941) of Morris and they had no children.

Businessman

At the age of 18, George took a job in a store at Hamilton. In 1879, he began an apprenticeship in a brush and broom factory operated by Walter Woods & Company. From 1885 to 1901 he worked as a travelling salesman for the company, covering much of Ontario, and in 1896 he established a branch at Winnipeg and became its manager. He retired from Walter Woods in 1918 to set up a manufacturer’s agency George N Jackson & Son (later called George N. Jackson Limited) to make a place for his son who was returning from World War I. The head office was in Winnipeg with a branch in Vancouver. For many years George played a leading role in community and business organizations and his interest in education and the advancement of worthwhile projects for Winnipeg never flagged. His journeys to many parts of the world made him tolerant in his views and progressive in outlook.

George was a President of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, the Canadian Men’s Trust Association, and the Manitoba Branch of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. He was Chairman of the Manitoba Minimum Wage Board. He was active in raising funds to construct the Young United Church, and Chairman of the building committee during its construction. He was a member of the Board of Governors of United College, and for many years a director of the YMCA. In 1920, he accompanied his wife on her visit of almost a year of the Methodist missions in China and Japan. He was a Mason; past-master of the Ionic Lodge and a member of the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite and, in 1921, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. He was also a member of the Rotary club and a member of the Assiniboine Lawn Bowling Club.

He died at Winnipeg on 01 December 1944 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.

Sources:

• Marriage and Death Registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
• Birth and Marriage Registrations, Ontario Vital Statistics.
• “Geo. N. Jackson, Firm’s Head Dies”, Winnipeg Free Press, 01 December 1944, page 4.
• “G.N. Jackson, Pioneer in Business, Dies”, The Winnipeg Tribune, 01 December 1944, page 4.
• “George N. Jackson”:, The Winnipeg Tribune, 01 December 1944, page 6.