Agnes Thomson
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Agnes Helen Thomson (1909 - 1956)

Dr Agnes Helen Thomson
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canadamap
Ancestors ancestors
Wife of — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Mother of [private son (unknown - unknown)]
Died at age 46 in Toronto, Ontario, Canadamap
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Profile last modified | Created 7 Jun 2013
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Biography

Agnes Helen Thomson is born on March 5, 1909, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada [2]. She is the daughter of Dr. John Richard Thomson (1873-1955) and Janet Glendinning Paterson (1872-1953) [1]. She sometimes uses “Agnes” as her first name and, at other times, she is referred to as “Helen.”

Oddly, Agnes appears twice in the 1911 census records [3][4]. We think what happened is that her mother, Janet, goes back to her parent’s house in Scarborough, Ontario, for a visit and Agnes (“Helen”) is counted there as a two-year old child [3]. But her father, Dr. Thomson, stays in Winnipeg and Agnes and Janet Glendinning are also listed there when the census taker comes calling [4]. And as there were several young nieces staying with Dr. Thomson at the time, we suspect it was one of them who gives the information to the census taker because they get some of the ages and birth dates for Agnes Helen and her mother wrong.

In the 1916, 1921 and 1926 census records, Agnes, or sometimes Helen Agnes, is shown living with her parents in Winnipeg [5][6][7]. The family lives at 311 Balmoral Street. This is just south of Portage Avenue, directly north of the legislative buildings and about half a kilometre west of the centre of Winnipeg.

We know a few things about her life as she grows up. We know that she goes to Kelvin Technical High School in Winnipeg in the 1920s [8]. (This is the same school that the musician, Neil Young, went to.) She then attends the University of Manitoba where we assume she studies medicine [8]. She then works as an intern at the Winnipeg General Hospital in 1932-1933 [8]. After this, she goes to work as a doctor at Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg [8]. This is the same hospital where her father is the chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Details about her life after working at the Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg are unclear. At some point we know she moves back to Ontario [8]. But also, in 1946, we know she makes a trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We know she makes several trips to Brazil (1946, 1949, 1955) because we have found immigration cards for her in Brazil. The earliest one, 1946, is a special temporary immigration card and this shows that she is married [9]. It does not give the name of her husband, but her surname is shown as “Klanfer” but, oddly, it shows her parent’s address in Winnipeg as her own home address. This 1946 immigration card also contains a picture of Agnes Helen (see picture to the right). The 1955 card is similar, but it now shows that she lives in Toronto [10]. (If we are reading the 1995 card correctly, this seems to be a permanent immigration card ?)

What we do not know is when or where Agnes Helen was married. We know her husband is Karl Klanfer who was born in Vienna, Austria in 1904. He, too, makes various trips to Brazil and, from the immigration cards, we know he is a chemist.

There is also a possibility that Agnes and Karl adopt a child (John Klanfer) but, to date, this cannot be confirmed.

Whatever the details of the life of Agnes in the late 1940 and early 1950s, tragedy strikes in 1955-1956. Agnes dies of breast cancer on January 17. 1956 [8]. At the time, she and Karl are living in Leaside (Toronto) Ontario. One odd thing about the death of Agnes is that this information comes from a “United States Deceased Physician File” [8]. Perhaps she worked in the United States for a while. Her husband, Karl, goes to live in Massachusetts after her death.

Agnes is buried in the cemetery of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Scarborough [11][12]. This is where her parents are buried. The gravestone shows her names as “Klanfer: Dr. Helen A. Thomson.”



Sources

[1] The 1968 Paterson family tree by Marjorie Paterson shows “Helen” [not Agnes Helen] as the 2nd child of John R. Thomson and Janet Paterson. It shows her spouse as Karl Klanfer

[2] https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/DetailView.php Agnes Helen Thomson was born on March 5, 1909 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her mother was Janet Paterson.

[3] 1911 census, Ontario, York Centre, 20, Scarborough, pg 11, household 127, automatedgenealogy.com, transcribed by Robin: Thos Paterson (73), born Feb 1838; Margret (70) born Dec 1840; Annie J (41), born Sep 1870; Janet Thomson (39), daughter, married, born Apr 1872; Helen Thomson (2), granddaughter born Mar 1909.. The family is shown to live in Lot 27, Concession 3 of Scarborough.

[4] 1911 census, Manitoba, Winnipeg, pg 8, household 64: John R. Thompson (sic) (37), born Dec 1873; Jeanet G. (38), born May 1872; Agnes Helen (1), born in Manitoba in Mar 1910; Olive Wheeler (18), born in Sask in June 1892, niece; Margaret Wheeler (16), born in Sask in July 1894, niece; Adam Walton (37), born 1873. The extended family lives at 311 Balmoral. All members of the household are shown as Presbyterian. The occupation of John R. is just about impossible to read although it may be “doctor.” Olive Wheeler may be a maid. Adam Walton has no occupation shown. (This census record was found after first locating it at automatedgenealogy.com, transcribed by Joseph Panara.) The two Wheeler girls are the daughters of Harriet Thomson (1862-?) and Henry Wheler (1856-?). [not clear why the father’s surname is “Wheler” and the girls are shown as “Wheeler.”] Harriet is the sister of John Richard Thomson.

[5] 1916 census, Manitoba, Winnipeg, City of Winnipeg, pg 11, household 121: John Thomson (42), doctor; Janet (43); Agnes (7). The family lives at 311 Balmoral. The parents were born in Ontario; the child was born in Manitoba. The family’s religion is Presbyterian. 311 Balmoral is just south of Portage, within half a kilometre of the centre of Winnipeg (and directly north of the Manitoba legislative buildings).

[6] 1921 census, Manitoba, Winnipeg South, Winnipeg, pg 12, family # [looks like 95 but could be 92]: John R. Thomson (47), born in Ontario, parents born in Ontario; Janet (48), born in Ontario, parents born in Ontario; Helen A. (12), born in Manitoba. The family lives at 311 Balmoral. Family members are labelled “Scotch” and their religion is Presbyterian. They have one domestic living with them.

[7] 1926 census, Manitoba, Winnipeg South, Winnipeg City, pg 11, family #105: John Thomson (52), born Ont., father born Ont., mother born Scotland; Janet Thomson (53), wife, born Ont., born Ont., parents born Ont.; Agnes Thomson (17), daughter, born Manitoba. The racial or tribal origin of all residents is “Scotch” and the family’s address is 311 Balmoral.

[8] "United States Deceased Physician File (AMA), 1864-1968", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WWRK-TXMM : 14 December 2020), Agnes Helen Thomson-Klanfer, 1954. This record is not easily interpreted, but this is what we think it shows: (1) Dr Agnes Helen Thomson Klanfer died; (2) she was born in Winnipeg on March 5, 1909; (3) she went to Kelvin Tech high school in Winnipeg; (4) she went to University of Manitoba in 1926-1928 [possibly longer]; (5) she was an intern at the Winnipeg General Hospital from 1932-to-1933; (6) she worked at the Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg in 1934 and 1945; (7) her address in 1934 was 311 Balmoral in Winnipeg; (8) in 1941 she appears to be living in Orillia, Ontario; (9) later in 1941 she appears to live in Toronto, Ontario; (10) in 1949 she appears to be living back in Winnipeg; (11) also in 1949 she appears to be living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; (12) in 1951 she is in Toronto; and (13) in 1954 she is in Leaside, Ontario [Leaside is a part of Toronto]. She died on Jan 17, 1956 of breast cancer. The informant was Karl Klanfer, her husband. She died in the Toronto General Hospital. Karl Klanfer’s address is shown at 94 Rykert Cres., Leaside.

[9] "Brasil, Cartões de Imigração, 1900-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:27FR-4MN : 4 March 2021), Agnes Helen Klanfer, Immigration; citing 1946, Arquivo Nacional, Rio de Janeiro (National Archives, Rio de Janeiro). Agnes Helen Klanfer was issued an immigration card in Brazil in 1946. This card shows her birth date as as 5 March 1909 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It shows her parents as John Richard Thomson and Janet Paterson. And it shows that she is married. It gives her address as 311 Belmoral in Winnipeg (her parent’s address is 311 Balmoral Street).

[10] "Brasil, Cartões de Imigração, 1900-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VJ1J-5T4 : 4 March 2021), Agnes Helen Klanfer, Immigration; citing 1955, Arquivo Nacional, Rio de Janeiro (National Archives, Rio de Janeiro). This card gives similar information as the 1946 card but it now shows that she lives in Toronto.

[11] St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Bendale, headstone: “KLANFER Dr Helen A. Thomson Klanfer 1909 – 1956” row 23.19

[12] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71916521/agnes-%22helen%22-klanfer: accessed 13 February 2023), memorial page for Dr Agnes "Helen" Thomson Klanfer (5 Mar 1909–17 Jan 1956), Find a Grave Memorial ID 71916521, citing Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Scarborough, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada; Maintained by Judi Morris (contributor 49116331). “Helen's husband was Karl Klanfer who was born 10 Oct 1904 in Vienna, Austria and who died 18 Jul 1992 in Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA”






Acknowledgments

Thank you to Katharine E for creating WikiTree profile Thomson-1992 through the import of john r thomson.ged on Jun 6, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Katharine and others. . The biography was written in Dec., 2022 by Fred Nix. Fred and Agnes (Helen) are third cousins, twice removed.






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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Agnes by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Agnes:

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