Vancouver / Names / T / Thiessen

A family name in Vancouver's city directories

The Thiessens

In the city directories 1940 · eleven people at eight addresses

The directories print eleven people named Thiessen at eight addresses in 1940 in six of the city's neighbourhoods. No first name or initials tie one address to another: we can't tell if they're one family. The most under one roof: four Thiessens at 475 East 49th in 1940.

Reserve this family's book, freeThe name in every directory we hold from 1901 to 1945, at every address, each line with its page, to read here or save as a PDF. About $29 when orders open.

Where the Thiessens lived

Each pin is on its own block, numbered as the households below. Today's land, parks, main roads and local areas: City of Vancouver Open Data (Open Government Licence – Vancouver).
  1. 1

    3690 Cypress Street

    Shaughnessy, 1940

    • Agnes Thiessen, a maid for G T Cunningham 1940

    Next door in 1940: W S Lane at 3638. The block, door by door

  2. 2

    475 East 49th Avenue

    Sunset, 1940

    • Rev J G Thiessen, a minister at the Mennonite Brethren Church 1940
    • Annie Thiessen 1940
    • Kate Thiessen, a shade maker 1940
    • Walter J Thiessen, a millworker at BC Plywoods 1940

    Next door in 1940: W H Saunders at 471 and W Radke at 479. The block, door by door

  3. 3

    5272 Elgin Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • Elizabeth Thiessen, a waitress at Spencer's 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs M Grant at 5204 and Le R Bell at 5284. The block, door by door

  4. 4

    2323 Heather Street

    Fairview, 1940

    • N A Thiessen, a laborer 1940

    Next door in 1940: Mrs J Short at 2331. The block, door by door

  5. 5

    1070 Hornby Street

    Downtown, 1940

    • Florence Thiessen, a waitress at Chanticleer Lunch 1940

    Next door in 1940: I W Berry at 1068 and J H McDonald at 1074. The block, door by door

  6. 6

    5325 Sherbrooke Street

    Kensington-Cedar Cottage, 1940

    • P I Thiessen, a janitor for Trocadero Cafe 1940

    Next door in 1940: J Harnett at 5311 and W E Errett at 5355. The block, door by door

  7. 7

    2183 West 47th Avenue

    Kerrisdale, 1940

    • Ruth Thiessen, a saleswoman at Spencer's 1940

    Next door in 1940: E H Harris at 2177 and Mrs M H Peterson at 2189. The block, door by door

  8. 8

    6363 Windsor Street

    Sunset, 1940

    • Mary Thiessen, an assistant matron at the Bethel Girls' Home 1940

    Next door in 1940: R L Kelly at 6351. The block, door by door

What they did

The name section prints a trade for ten of the eleven: a waitress (2), an assistant matron, a janitor, a laborer, a maid and a millworker, among others. Two of them worked for Spencer's.

Their neighbourhoods

The addresses are in Kensington-Cedar Cottage (2), Sunset (2), Downtown, Fairview, Kerrisdale and Shaughnessy. Each neighbourhood's page shows its trades, its people and every street in it, the way the directory printed them.

The story, address by address

The 1940 name section, where each person's work is printed, lists Agnes Thiessen at 3690 Cypress Street, a maid for G T Cunningham. Rev J G Thiessen is listed at 475 East 49th Avenue in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Rev Jacob G Thiessen there as the householder, a minister at the Mennonite Brethren Church, with Annie Thiessen, Kate Thiessen, a shade maker, and Walter J Thiessen, a millworker at BC Plywoods. The 1940 name section lists Elizabeth Thiessen at 5272 Elgin Street, a waitress at Spencer's.

In 1940 the directory lists N A Thiessen at 2323 Heather Street. The 1940 name section lists Nicholas A Thiessen there as the householder, a laborer. The 1940 name section lists Florence Thiessen at 1070 Hornby Street, a waitress at Chanticleer Lunch.

P I Thiessen is listed at 5325 Sherbrooke Street in 1940. The 1940 name section lists Peter I Thiessen there as the householder, a janitor for Trocadero Cafe. The 1940 name section lists Ruth Thiessen at 2183 West 47th Avenue, a saleswoman at Spencer's. The 1940 name section lists Mary Thiessen at 6363 Windsor Street, an assistant matron at the Bethel Girls' Home.

Today

475 East 49th, 5272 Elgin, 2183 West 47th and 6363 Windsor still have their buildings from before 1946; 5325 Sherbrooke (1984) has a newer building, by the City's record; the City no longer lists 3690 Cypress, 2323 Heather and 1070 Hornby, so those buildings are probably gone (inferred).

Every line as printed

All 14 lines printed under the name through 1945, each with its page at the Vancouver Public Library.
1940

British Columbia and Yukon Directory, name section, where each person's work is printed

The book of the Thiessens

Every directory, as one book

The family book reads the Thiessen name in each Vancouver directory we hold from 1901 to 1945: everyone printed under it at every address, their work from the name sections, who lived next door, and the page behind every line, to read here or save as a PDF to print or give.

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Another name, or a house

Sources

Henderson's and successor city directories for Vancouver, read by us line by line: the street sections for 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1940 and 1945, and the name section for 1930 and 1940 where we've read it (Vancouver Public Library, BC City Directories). Names are shown through 1945, as printed. Close spellings are grouped, as on the house pages, since a family's name was often spelled differently from one year to the next; one name can still be several families, and we join lines only where the first names or initials agree. Many Chinese, Japanese and other residents weren't named by the canvassers, so they can't be listed by name: their houses' pages say where. More family names under T. Want a name removed? Tell us.