Janet Scott McDonald “Jennie” Lauder Griesbach (1877-1950)

Janet Scott McDonald “Jennie” Lauder Griesbach

Birth

8 Oct 1877

Winnipeg, Greater Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Death

29 Oct 1950 (aged 73)

Edmonton, Edmonton Census Division, Alberta, Canada

Burial

Edmonton Municipal Cemetery

Edmonton, Edmonton Census Division, Alberta, Canada Add to Map

Plot

C 0026 0018

Memorial ID

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Edmonton's First Woman Telephone Operator and Distinguished Citizen. Janet "Jenny" Lauder was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and her family moved to Edmonton in 1881. In 1892, at the aage of 14, she quit her formal schooling and became the first woman telephone operator for the fledgling Edmonton District Telephone Company which originally provided service between Edmonton and St. Albert. In 1905 she married William Griesbach, a local attorney and alderman who subsequently became Edmonton's youngest mayor, a Member of Parliament for Edmonton West and a member of the Canadian Senate. William Griesbach was also a highly decorated Canadian soldier who rose to the rank of Major-General. Janet Lauder Griesbach played an important role in the history of Edmonton. During World War I, Jenny worked overseas as a nurse providing great comfort and assistance to many families of her husband's regiment, the Loyal Edmonton Regiment. Her strength, commitment and dedication was recognized in 2004 when the Canada Lands Company unveiled a statue of her in honor of her accomplishments in demonstrating the importance of military wives' support.∼Janet(Jennie)was the 8th of 13 children of James Lauder and Hannah Forbes Gray. Her parents arrived in Canada from Glasgow Scotland in 1874 with three children and settled initially in Winnipeg. A few years later they moved on to Edmonton. Janet met and married William Griesbach in Edmonton in 1906.

(Note: Many of the Lauder children had several middle names, being named after various ancestors.)
contributor - Miriam Ridge