Historic Sites of Manitoba: Brunkild Consolidated School No. 1281 (Brunkild, RM of Macdonald)

Link to:
Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

The first school in the Brunkild district was the Poersch School completed in February 1897 on NE18-7-1 west of the Principal Meridian, in the Rural Municipality of Macdonald. A new building was built in Brunkild in April 1904 and later became a residence for caretakers and teachers. In February 1920, the Brunkild Consolidated School was opened, the builders having the forethought to pre-wire the building for electricity, which arrived in 1949. The school had four large classrooms, full basement, science room, steam heating, washrooms and office, and offered a full slate of subjects for grades one to eleven.

In 1960, the high school came under the jurisdiction of the Morris-Macdonald School Division and the high school students were bused to Sanford. Eventually, the elementary grades were obliged to do the same, despite an overwhelming vote to remain in Brunkild. The school property was sold to the Brunkild Memorial Recreation Centre to be used as a playground and park. The building was demolished in 1978.

A monument was erected in 2003 by Elsie Steinke on the old school site, in commemoration of the founders, school trustees, teachers, caretakers, and students of Brunkild schools.

Principals

Period	Principal
1931-1945	Henry Wall
1945-1947	John S. Schellenberg (?-?)
1947-1949	D. R. Dick
1949-1950	George Wesley Denstedt (1896-1979)
1950-1954	Stanley Robert Kitchen (1915-1988)
1954-1960	Alex Sabeski (c1923-2014)
1960-1963	Daniel Heide
1963-1964	Edward Raymond “Ed” Arndt (1939-2019)
1964-1967	Clifford D. Hall
1967-1969	?
1969-1972	Clifford D. Hall

Teachers

Year	Teachers
1920	Thomas W. Emerson
1921	Lora Blanks, Thomas W. Emerson, Irene Robinson
1922	Lora Blanks, Thomas W. Emerson, Irene Robinson
1923	Lora Blanks, Thomas W. Emerson, Rupert Hoppa, M. Sutherland
1924	Thomas W. Emerson, Charles Laine, L. Slaughter, Helen Verrall
1925	Thomas W. Emerson, Leonard Krueger, L. Slaughter, Helen Verrall
1926	Thomas W. Emerson, Etta Jenkins, L. Slaughter, Helen Verrall
1927	Ivodell Busby, Thomas W. Emerson, Etta Jenkins, L. Slaughter, Helen Verrall
1928	Ivodell Busby, Thomas W. Emerson, Mildren Warren
1929	Thomas W. Emerson, Ida Jeske, Eleanor Slaughter
1930	Charles Durnin, Thomas W. Emerson, Ida Jeske, Eleanor Slaughter
1931	Lily Gillespie, Ida Jeske, Henry Wall
1932	Wilmet Bowler, Lily Gillespie, Ida Jeske, Henry Wall
1933	Selma Davidson, Lily Gillespie, Ida Jeske, Henry Wall
1934	Linda Braun, Selma Davidson, Lily Gillespie, Ida Jeske, Henry Wall
1935	J. D. Huston, Ida Jeske, Isobel Malcolmson, Henry Wall
1936	Ida Jeske, Harry Lawson, Isobel Malcolmson, Henry Wall
1937	Ida Jeske, Harry Lawson, Isobel Malcolmson, Henry Wall
1938	Evelyn Fletcher, Margaret McArter, Mrs. W. F. Poersch, Henry Wall
1939	Evelyn Fletcher, K. Elizabeth Hoole, Henry Wall, Isaac F. Wiens
1940	Mary Robinson, Edith Somerville, Henry Wall, Isaac F. Wiens
1941	Ruth E. Bailey, Edith Somerville, Ben Unruh, Henry Wall, Isaac F. Wiens
1942	Ruth E. Bailey, Henry Wall, Katherine Weber
1943	Ruth E. Bailey, Laura Ferguson, Henry Wall, Katherine Weber
1944	Helen Brown, Lois Collins, Marie Friesen
1945	Marie Friesen, Helen Hildebrand, John S. Schellenberg, Ben Unruh
1946	Jean Fraser, Marie Friesen, Audrey Johnson, John S. Schellenberg
1947	D. R. Dick, Jean Fraser, Jean Gray
1948	D. R. Dick, Ruth Harron, J. Zuzanski
1949	George W. Denstedt, Ruth Harron, W. Johnston
1950	Isabelle Berkvens, L. A. Grabowsky, Stanley R. Kitchen, Joan Murray, Mary Rankins
1951	H. Craig, Stanley R. Kitchen, Mary Klym
1952	Stanley R. Kitchen, Annie Schellenberg
1953	Peter Enns, Stanley R. Kitchen, Annie Schellenberg
1954	Peter Enns, Thelma Enns, Alex Sabeski
1955	Margaret McCullough, Alex Sabeski
1956	Margaret McCullough, Clara McLeod, Anne Nicolajsen
1957	Margaret McCullough, Wilma Skeavington
1958	Daniel Heide, Margaret McCullough, Wilma Skeavington
1959	Daniel Heide, Margaret McCullough, Fern Rose
1960	Jean Anderson, Daniel Heide, Fern Rose
1961	Jean Anderson, Daniel Heide, Fern Rose
1962	Jean Anderson, Daniel Heide, Fern Rose
1963-1964	Jean Anderson, Edward R. Arndt, Elma Brandt, Fern Rose
1964-1965	Jean Anderson, Edward R. Arndt, Clifford D. Hall, Fern Rose
1965-1966	Jean Anderson, G. W. Collier, Clifford D. Hall, Fern Rose
1966-1967	Jean Anderson, Etta Gehring, Clifford D. Hall, J. Neumann, Fern Rose
1967-1968	Mary Guenter, Clifford D. Hall, Myrna Preston, Heather Sylvester
1968-1969	Mary Guenter, Myrna Preston, Heather Sylvester
1969-1970	Clifford D. Hall
1970-1971	Clifford D. Hall
1971-1972	Clifford D. Hall
1972-1973	Gail Evans, Clifford D. Hall, Myrna Halstead

Among the other teachers who worked at Brunkild School were Mr. Graaf and Mr. Schultz.

Photos & Coordinates

The newly constructed four-classroom Brunkild School building, erected at a cost of $35,000 (circa 1920) Source: Education Department Report, 1920, Manitoba Legislative Library. Brunkild School (no date) by E. D. Parker Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 90. Brunkild School (circa 1963) Source: Ed Arndt Brunkild School teacherage (no date) Source: Ed Arndt Brunkild School commemorative monument (August 2010) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.59116, W97.57354 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Manitoba Organization: Morris-Macdonald School Division School District No. 19

Sources:

Annual Reports of the Manitoba Department of Education, Manitoba Legislative Library.

One Hundred Years in the History of the Rural Schools of Manitoba: Their Formation, Reorganization and Dissolution (1871-1971) by Mary B. Perfect, MEd thesis, University of Manitoba, April 1978.

Memories & Melodies: The History of Brunkild, 1871-1980 by Brunkild History Book Committee, 2003. [Manitoba Legislative Library, F5649.B78 Bru]

We thank Ed Arndt for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 5 January 2020

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