TONGS, FIREPLACE

History: MADE BY MRS WILSON'S GRANDFATHER IN ENGLAND IN 1850 & BROUGHT TO CANADA BY FAMILY IN 1906. USED TO REMOVE COAL CLINKER FROM STOVE OR FIREPLACE. *UPDATE* IN 2022 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT NICOLE WILKINSON CONDUCTED AN ARTIFACT SURVEY THAT INCLUDED A NUMBER OF ARTIFACTS FROM MAY WILSON. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION HAS BEEN COLLECTED FROM LETHBRIDGE HERALD OBITUARIES. MAY BALLANTYNE WILSON WAS BORN IN SCOTLAND, ARRIVING IN CANADA WITH HER FAMILY SOMETIME BETWEEN 1907-1908. SHE ATTENDED SCHOOL IN LETHBRIDGE BEFORE ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA AND RECEIVING A BACHELOR OF EDUCATION DEGREE. IN 1918 SHE TAUGHT IN CRYSTAL LAKE, AND FOLLOWING THIS SHE TAUGHT AT PURPLE SPRINGS AND THE GALBRAITH SCHOOL IN LETHBRIDGE, SPECIALIZING IN ART. SHE MARRIED DAVID MINTO WILSON IN 1925, ANOTHER SCOTISH IMMIGRANT WHO ARRIVED IN LETHBRIDGE IN 1912, AND TOGETHER THEY OPERATED WILSONS GROCERY IN LETHBRIDGE. MAY WAS A MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB, THE MATHESIS CLUB, AND THE ST. ANDREW’S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. SHE PASSED IN MARCH OF 1991 AT THE AGE OF 91 YEARS. DAVID PREDECEASED HER IN JUNE OF 1962. SHE WAS SURVIVED BY HER TWO SONS, RONALD WILSON WHO PASSED NOVEMBER OF 1998, AND ROBERT WILSON WHO PASSED APRIL OF 2012. FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE P19683478000.