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Biography
Jessie MacDonald was born June 20, 1880 at Copper Lake, Antigonish County. She was the daughter of Murdock MacDonald and Mary Kennedy. MacDonald was married to someone with the surname Withrow in the 1890s who had died sometime by 1921 when MacDonald was listed on the 1921 Census of Canada as widowed. She gave birth to a son, Colin A. Withrow in 1896. By 1911, MacDonald was living in Copper Lake with her parents and son. Prior to enlistment she worked as a nurse.
MacDonald enlisted as a Nursing Sister in the Canadian Army Medical Corps with the 9th Stationary Hospital in Halifax. This unit was established by St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish. MacDonald sailed for England from Halifax June 19, 1916 and arrived in Liverpool on June 29, 1916. She was posted to Moore Barracks Hospital in Shornecliffe, Kent on July 4, 1916. MacDonald was admitted to the Mandora Isolation Hospital in Aldershot for German Measles from December 18, 1916 to December 28, 1916. In March of 1917, she was admitted to Bramshott Military Hospital for Influenza from March 17, 1917 to April 25, 1917. She was subequently granted four weeks leave by Medical Board to recover from April 26, 1917 to May 26, 1917. Following her recovery, MacDonald was posted to the Canadian Convalence Hospital at Hillingdon House, Uxbridge, Londonon on June 15 1917. She was posted to the H.M.H.S Letitia from Liverpool July 21, 1917. MacDonald was allowed to resign from the Canadian Army Medical Corps in August of 1917. The request was approved July 31, 1917. MacDonald was discharged due to resignation August 17, 1917 in Halifax.
Following the war, MacDonald worked as a nurse in Antigonish and lived at Copper Lake. She retired from nursing in July of 1935. MacDonald died May 8, 1937 in the town of Antigonish, Antigonish County.
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