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Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources
Known originally as Barker School when it was organized formally in February 1921, along the eastern side of NW30-1-1 East of the Prime Meridian at Sommerfeld in the Municipality of Rhineland, it was renamed Sommerfeld School during the summer of 1923. The school occupied a private building that had operated in the community until 1940 when a new structure was constructed. In 1961, another school building was moved to the site from Lowe Farm for use as a second classroom. The two separate buildings were, for a time, identified as No. 1 South School and No. 2 North School. The district was dissolved in 1971 but one of the building continued to be used for elementary classes until the summer of 1977. The second building was sold and moved out of the village. The remaining building was sold to the community in 1977 and used as a community centre. It now appears to be unused.
Period
Principal
1961-1962
Waldemar “Wally” Rempel (1936-2015)
1962-1964
Lawrence Giesbrecht
1964-1966
Susan H. Giesbrecht
1966-1967
Jake Letkeman
1967-1971
John John Janzen
1971-1972
Mabel Ruth Fehr
1972-1975
Donald William Bergen
Among the early teachers at Barker School / Sommerfeld School were William Toews (Spring 1922 - Spring 1923), Jacob F. Kroeker (Fall 1923 - Spring 1927), Isaac P. Zacharias (Fall 1927 - Spring 1928), Abram Daniel Friesen (Fall 1928 - Spring 1929), Katharina Wiebe “Kath” Peters (Fall 1929 - Spring 1930, Fall 1931 - Spring 1934), Jacob J. Enns (Fall 1930 - Spring 1931), Henry Schellenberg (Fall 1934 - Spring 1940), George Schellenberg (August 1940 - March 1941), William Friesen (April-June 1941), Peter J. Peters (Fall 1941 - Fall 1942), Dorothy Janzen (Spring 1943), Jacob J. Enns (Fall 1943 - Spring 1946), Peter Bernhard Krahn (Fall 1946 - Spring 1952), Abram P. Hildebrand (Fall 1952 - Spring 1955), and Jacob J. Koop (Fall 1955 - Spring 1957).
Period
Teachers
1957-1958
Waldemar Rempel (grades 1-10)
1958-1959
Waldemar Rempel (grades 1-10)
1959-1960
Waldemar Rempel (grades 1-9)
1960-1961
Waldemar Rempel (grades 1-9)
1961-1962
Patricia June Froese (grades 1-6), Waldemar Rempel (grades 7-10)
1962-1963
Patricia June Froese (grades 1-6, at No. 1 South School), Lawrence Giesbrecht (grades 7-10, at No. 2 North School)
1963-1964
Patricia June Froese (grades 1-4, at No. 1 South School), Lawrence Giesbrecht (grades 5-9, at No. 2 North School)
1964-1965
Susan H. Giesbrecht (grades 5-9, at No. 2 North School), Wilhelmina Alyce Hoeppner (grades 1-4, at No. 1 South School)
1965-1966
Susan H. Giesbrecht (grades 5-8, at No. 2 North School), Marjorie Eileen Janzen (grades 1-4, at No. 1 South School)
1966-1967
Marjorie Eileen Janzen (grades 1-4), Jake Letkeman (grades 5-8)
1967-1968
Susanna “Susie” Heide (grades 1-4), John John Janzen (grades 5-8)
1968-1969
Susanna “Susie” Heide (grades 1-4), John John Janzen (grades 5-8)
1969-1970
Margaret Elaine Friesen (grades 1-4, October-June), John John Janzen (grades 5-8), Tienne Janzen (grades 1-2, August-September)
1970-1971
Mary Dyck (grades 1-4), John John Janzen (grades 5-8)
1971-1972
Mary Dyck (grades 1-4), Mabel Ruth Fehr (grades 5-8)
1972-1973
Donald William Bergen (grades 5-8), Rita Erika Ursula Steinke (grades 1-4)
1973-1974
Donald William Bergen (grades 5-8), Florence Dianne [Diane?] Neufeld (grades 1-4)
1974-1975
Donald William Bergen (grades 5-8), Florence Dianne [Diane?] Neufeld (grades 1-4)
1975-1976
Florence Dianne [Diane?] Neufeld (grades 1-4)
1976-1977
Patricia Jane Nickel (grades 1-4)
The original Sommerfeld School building (no date) by G. G. Neufeld
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-3, page 86.
The former Sommerfeld School building, constructed in 1940 (circa 1986)
Source: Historic Resources Branch, Public School Buildings Inventory, slide 1093.
Exterior of the former Sommerfeld School building (February 2012)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Exterior of the former Sommerfeld School building (November 2020)
Source: Rose Kuzina
Interior of the former Sommerfeld School building (February 2012)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.07130, W97.44832
denoted by symbol on the map above
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.
A Study of Public School Buildings in Manitoba by David Butterfield, Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 1994, 230 pages.
We thank Al Schmidt (Altona and District Heritage Research Centre) for providing additional information used here.
School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.
Manitoba School Records Collection, Barker School District No. 2058 - Daily Register, GR2656, Archives of Manitoba.
Manitoba School Records Collection, Sommerfeld School District No. 2058 - Daily Registers, GR2656, Archives of Manitoba.
We thank Al Schmidt (Altona and District Heritage Research Centre) and Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 2 July 2025
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