Biography:

Dr. William John Brawley was born in Beeton, Ontario on the 14th of September, 1880.  Dr. Brawley was the eldest of 2 children born to Alexander Brawley and the former Sarah Coulter.  At the time of his birth, his father was a hotel keeper but later his parents became farmers.  His younger sister was Reby Arlie Brawley.  Dr. Brawley was educated in Beeton before attending medical school.

Dr. Brawley enrolled in Trinity Medical School in 1901.  Trinity Medical School amalgamated with The University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine in 1903.  Dr. Brawley graduated in 1905.  Dr. Brawley’s first medical practice was in Port Arthur, Ontario. (Port Arthur amalgamated with Fort William 1970 and is now known as Thunder Bay).

Dr. Brawley practiced medicine in Wallaceburg in 1910.  An article appeared in the Chatham Daily Planet on the 18th of November, 1910 that advised that Dr. Brawley had been practicing medicine in Wallaceburg for a number of months but he had moved to Fort William.  Further the article stated that Dr. Brawley had made many “warm friends”.

Dr. Brawley married Effie Aldis Eberts on the 6th of March, 1911 in Port Arthur.  Mrs. Brawley was born in Chatham on the 17th of June, 1884.  She was the 2nd of 7 children born to Francis Goldworth Eberts and the former Florence Edith Bennett.  Her father was  a grain merchant and her siblings were; Edith Goldworth Eberts, Henry Thomas Gordon Eberts, Philles Elizabeth Eberts, Jerome Bishop Eberts, Francis Robertson Eberts and Nellie M. Eberts.

From 1916 until at least 1921, Dr. and Mrs. Brawley lived in Humboldt, Saskatchewan before moving to Wynyard, Saskatchewan.

Dr. Brawley enjoyed curling and playing golf.  He was President of the Wynyard Golf Club for 22 years and he was elected as the President of the Senior Golfers Association of Saskatchewan in 1943, the year before his death.

Mrs. Brawley died on the 22nd of February, 1924 in Yorktown, Saskatchewan.  Dr. Brawley died at the Wadena Hospital in Wadena, Saskatchewan on the 17th of September, 1944 but his funeral was held in Wynyard, Saskatchewan.  Dr. and Mrs. Brawley were buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.

*Mrs. Brawley’s brothers, Jerome Bishop Eberts and Francis Robertson Eberts served with the Canadian Military during WWI.  Both of her brother’s served overseas and they appear on the Gathering Our Heroes website.