Historic Sites of Manitoba: Mitchell School No. 1965 (Mitchell, RM of Hanover)

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

The Mitchell School District was established in April 1919 and a one-room schoolhouse operated in the village of Mitchell (SE6-7-6E) in the Rural Municipality of Hanover. In the 1950s, another classroom was added to cope with increased student enrollment, and a teacherage was built. In 1968, the district was dissolved and its area became part of the Hanover School Division. Students were bused to nearby Steinbach and the Division used the former school building as a workshop and warehouse. Later the property was sold to a local resident. In 2013, a commemorative sign at the site was erected by the EastMenn Historical Society.

Principals

Period	Principal
1955-1956	Gerhard Peter Neufeld (c1890-1968)
1956-1960	Gerhard Solomon Rempel (c1896-1969)
1960-1963	Gerd Manfred “Bert” Suss
1963-1964	John Friesen
1964-1965	Joseph G. Plett
1965-1966	Mrs. Katherine Peters
1966	Monroe Doerksen
1966-1967	Elmer Sawolty
1967-1968	Henry Schultz

Teachers

School Year	Teachers
1952-1955	?
1955-1956	Gerhard Peter Neufeld (grades 4-6), Elizabeth Loewen “Betty” Plett (grades 1-3)
1956-1957	Gerhard Peter Neufeld (grades 1-4), Gerhard Solomon Rempel (grades 4-9)
1957-1958	Elizabeth Loewen “Betty” Plett (grades 1-4), Gerhard Solomon Rempel (grades 5-9)
1958-1959	Elizabeth Loewen “Betty” Plett (grades 1-4), Gerhard Solomon Rempel (grades 5-9)
1959-1960	Elizabeth Loewen “Betty” Plett (grades 1-4), Gerhard Solomon Rempel (grades 5-9)
1960-1961	Elizabeth Loewen “Betty” Plett (grades 1-4), Gerd Manfred “Bert” Suss (grades 5-8)
1961-1962	Elizabeth Loewen “Betty” Plett (grades 1-4), Gerd Manfred “Bert” Suss (grades 5-8)
1962-1963	Helen Woelke (grades 1-4), Gerd Manfred “Bert” Suss (grades 5-8)
1963-1964	John Friesen (grades 5-8), Ruth Giesbrecht (grades 1-4)
1964-1965	Anne Dueck (grades 1-4), Joseph G. Plett (grades 5-8)
1965-1966	Monroe Doerksen (grades 5-8, 1966), Verna Nettie Funk (grades 1-4), Mrs. Katherine Peters (grades 5-8, 1965-1966)
1966-1967	Ramona Eva Dueck (grades 3-5), Verna Nettie Funk (grades 1-2), Elmer Sawolty (grades 6-7)
1967-1968	Ramona Eva Dueck (grades 3-5), Verna Nettie Funk (grades 1-2), Henry Schultz (grades 6-8)

Among the other teachers of Mitchell School were Catherine Froese (1921), Gerhard J. P. Kliewer (1921-1922), Lena F. Reimer (1922), Henry Nerada (1923), Peter J. B. Reimer (1924-1925), Mary Derksen (1925-1926), Sarah E. Warkentin (1926), Werner Schnoor (1927), E. Jendt (1927), Mary Kornelsen (1928-1929, 1930-1933), Elly Peters (1929-1930), Agathe Warkentin (1933-1936), Anne J. Siemens (1936-1941), Sara Janzen (1941-1942), Abram Peter Janzen (1942-1945), Frank John Willms (1945-1946), Alexander Isaac “Alex” Fast (1947-1949, 1951-1952), Bert Suss, G. S. Rempel, Betty Plett, Ivan Headings, Kathy Peters, H. Warkentin, Elizabeth Plett, F. J. Willms, G. P. Neufeld, Helen Woelke, Mrs. R. Giesbrecht, J. Friesen, Joseph Plett, Verna Funk, Anne Dueck, Elmer Sawatsky, Ramona Dueck, Henry Schultz, Charlotte Quasso, and A. Hildebrand.

Photos & Coordinates

Mitchell School (early 1920s) by James Tod Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-3, page 68 Mitchell School commemorative sign (April 2022) Source: Rose Kuzina Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.53260, W96.75668 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

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.

Schools - Our Heritage: From 46 School Districts to Hanover Unitary School Division (1878-1968) by John K. Schellenberg, The Board of The Hanover School Division No. 15, May 1985, ISBN 0-919673-93-7.

Manitoba School Records Collection (GR2656), Mitchell School District No. 1965 Daily Attendance Registers, Archives of Manitoba.

We thank Glen Klassen and Ernest Braun (EastMenn Historical Society) and Rose Kuzina for providing information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 17 April 2022

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