Kenora Great War Project

 

You can also view an Alphabetical List

The People

soldier_photobar

These are the stories of Kenora participants in the First World War.

Search by name, or filter the search results using the list of options below.

Komatich, Nick

Private First Class Nick (Nicholas) Komatich was born in St. Anthony, Stearns County, Minnesota on 4 February 1881. He grew up in Stearns County and by the time he was 14 he was working away from home as a farm labourer. He immigrated to Canada in 1911, at age 30, and settled in the town… Read More »

Barnes, George McMurray

Birth and Location: George McMurray Barnes was born in Rat Portage (Kenora), District of Rainy River, Ontario, September 21, 1898, the son of George Barnes and his second wife, Sara (McMurray) Barnes. Sara was the younger sister of George’s first wife, Fanny (McMurray) Barnes. Different records have different spellings for his middle name: McMurray, MacMurray,… Read More »

Mansfield, Horace

Sapper Horace Mansfield was born in Ireland on 23 November 1895, the son of John and Esther Mansfield of Cork, Cork County. He had at least six older sisters (Evelyn, Amelia, Violet, Jessie, Ethel and Mabel) and an older brother Cecil. The family was living in Cork for both the 1901 and 1911 censuses of… Read More »

Kaluses, William

According to his obituary as published in the Kenora Miner and News on 2 May 1968, William Kaluses, born on 5 June 1898 in Lithuania, served in Lithuania during WW1, details unknown. At some point he immigrated to Canada, settling in Kenora, Ontario. Over the years he worked for the Peterson Lumber Company, and latterly… Read More »

Favel, John Thomas

Private John Thomas Favel enlisted in December 1915, at age 16, and served in France and Belgium with the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles. He was wounded twice but he survived the war and returned home in December 1918. His father and older brother also enlisted and served overseas. John Thomas, usually known as Thomas, was… Read More »

Schwitzer, Rupert William

Private Rupert William Schwitzer enlisted in May 1916, at age 18, and served in France with the 46th Battalion. He died of wounds in September 1918,  two months before the Armistice. Rupert was the only son of John Edward Schwitzer and Eva McNaughton of Winnipeg, Manitoba. His parents were both born in Ottawa, Ontario and… Read More »

Giving, Martin

Corporal Martin Giving was living in Kenora, Ontario when he was called up under the U.S. draft in July 1918. He served in the U.S. Army for five months. Martin was the oldest son of Ole and Anna Giving (Geving/Gjeving) of Haugen, Aitken County, Minnesota. Ole and Anna were both born in Norway and they… Read More »

McIntyre, James Allan

By most accounts James Allan McIntyre was born on 16 March 1888 in Orillia, Ontario. His parents James Stephen McIntyre, a carpenter/cabinet maker, was from Edgar, Ontario while his mother Emma Louisa Brunson, a nurse, was from Tiny, Ontario. The couple married on 15 December 1885 in nearby Wyevale, Simcoe County. Settling in Simcoe County,… Read More »

Barnes, Clarence Wesley

Birth date and location: Clarence Wesley Barnes was born in Kenora, Ontario February 7, 1894, the eldest of four children.       Names of parents and siblings: John Barnes and Emma Ann Bell married in Kenora, District of Rainy River on June 20, 1893. Emma was the daughter of Julia A. Parliament and Albert… Read More »

Roy, Theodore Josias

Private Theodore Josias Roy, also known as Edward Roy, enlisted twice and served overseas for four months. He was invalided back to Canada due to illness. Theodore was the son of   Reverend Jesse Josias Roy and his first wife Rebecca Le Gallais. Josias, an Anglican clergyman, was born in 1849 in Sabrevois, Quebec. When… Read More »