Phyllis ( Wade) Johannson

Innisfail

Description

Life and Work

A tiny girl stands on the deck of an ocean-going passenger-ship, the "Lake Erie." It is May 1909 and she is facing into the wind, her full-length pinafore and long brunette hair blow freely in the breeze. Her expressive brown eyes hold a look of wonder as the English coastline recedes and she begins her journey to her new home in Canada.

At heart, Phyllis Johannson has always been that little brown-eyed girl facing the voyage of life with that earlier sense of joy and discovery, facing enthusiastically the hardships of pioneer life in the Innisfail area. In 1929 she married Albert Johannson, a farmer of Icelandic descent, and as a devoted wife and mother she faced "the dirty-thirties" with a cheerfulness that bore her family through the many hard times. Phyllis also served her community as a valued member in a multitude of service clubs and won recognition for her oil painting and music and sponsorship of little theatre. Today, her on-going exuberance for life, "facing cheerfully into the wind," continues to be a source of joy for family, friends and the progressive community she helped to build.


Associated Member Museum: Innisfail and District Historical Village