Sunday, February 2, 2014

Memorable Manitobans: Martin Jerome (1849-1936)

Click to enlargeFarmer, municipal official, immigration agent, MLA (1888-1892), MLA (1892-1895), MLA (1900-1903).
Born at Pembina, North Dakota on 23 November 1849, one of thirteen children of American parents, he was educated at St. Boniface and, in 1870, he married to Leocadie Carrierre. They settled on a farm in the Parish of St. Pierre, south of Winnipeg. He was the first Reeve of the Rural Municipality of DeSalaberry and was later elected to the Manitoba Legislature for the Carillon constituency, serving until 1903. He assisted in organizing the first Manitoba Liberal Association, along with Daniel McMillan and James Fisher, and he served as a federal immigration agent in France and Belgium for several years, and a homestead and forest inspector. He was a vigorous supporter of separate Catholic schools. He died at St. Boniface, Manitoba on 22 July 1936 and was buried in St. Norbert Cemetery