May Edith Lunn Lazier Pitblado

May Edith Lunn Lazier Pitblado (c1871-1950)

Educator, community activist.

Born near Toronto, Ontario around 1871, daughter of Edward Lunn and sister of Hattie Lunn, she came to Winnipeg with her family in her youth. She graduated from the Winnipeg Collegiate Institute and applied for a teaching position with the Winnipeg School Board around January 1888. She taught at Pinkham School (1888-1890) prior to serving as the Principal of Pembina Street School (1890-1893) and Dufferin School (1893-1898).

Her career as one of Winnipeg’s first female principals concluded with her first marriage to Frank Austin Lazier at the Central Congregational Church in Winnipeg on 14 September 1898. After honeymooning at St. Paul, Minnesota, the couple took up initial residence at Kansas City, Missouri, moving to Minneapolis a few years later. On 9 July 1907, she re-married to lawyer Isaac Pitblado at the 20 North 15th Street residence of Mrs. W. A. Mathers in Minneapolis. Following a four-month honeymoon in Europe, the couple resided on Balmoral Place in Winnipeg. This marriage produced a child, Edith Anna Pitblado (1910-1989, wife of Howard Clement Spence).

She was active in women’s organizations and was a founder and board member of the Kindergarten Settlement Association, which oversaw operation of the Ellen Street Kindergarten. She also served on the board of the Children’s Aid Society and belonged to the Westminster United Church.

She died at her Winnipeg home, Suite 3B Wellington Apartments off Wellington Crescent, on 8 November 1950 and was buried at Elmwood Cemetery.

• Source - http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/pitblado_mell.shtml