Historic Sites of Manitoba: Steinbach School No. 3 / Southwood School (155 Barkman Avenue, Steinbach)

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

Operated in the community of Steinbach, this educational facility was initially known Steinbach School No. 3 within the Steinbach School District No. 65. Following a vote of 100:67, out of a possible 750 local eligible voters, it was built in 1946-1947 at a cost of $75,000. The six-classroom facility was officially opened 5 November 1947. Present at the ceremony were School Board Chairman Jac. T. Loewen, Principal P. S. Guenther, Deputy Minister of Education R. O. MacFarlane, along with Reverends H. A. Brandt, P. D. Friesen, and Jac. Epp, of whom the latter two performed the school dedication. The School Board later renamed the facility as Southwood School around 1960 during construction of the Southwood neighbourhood development. The original school building has since been demolished and replaced with a new structure.

Principals

Period	Principal
1947-1953	Peter S. Guenther (1897-1991)
1953-1957	Ernest Arthur “Ernie” Friesen (1917-2012)
1957-1967	George G. Ewert (1921-2002)
1968-1970	Siegfried Paul William Grosse (1929-1995)
1970-1978	Ben Hiebert
1978-1988	Alice Bernice Keith Laing (1925-2019)
1988-1996	John Unger
1996-?	?

Teachers

Period	Teachers
1947-1948	Hildegard “Hilda” Ediger (grades 2-3), Nettie Friesen (grades 3-4), Peter S. Guenther (grade 6), Harvey Van Penner (grades 5-6), Elizabeth Regina Reimer (grade 1), John Wittenberg (grade 5)
1948-1949	?
1949-1950	?
1950-1951	?
1951-1952	?
1952-1953	?
1953-1954	?
1954-1955	Nettie Enns (grade 4), Marie Friesen (Grade 2), Violet Friesen (grade 5), John Martens (grade 6), Eldrieda Schroeder (grade 5), Hilda Schwartz (grade 3), Audrey Toews (kindergarten), Edith Wiebe (grade 1)
1955-1956	?
1956-1957	?
1957-1958	Helga Peters (kindergarten), Edith Mary Wiebe (grade 1), John G. Dyck (grade 5), Elizabeth Friesen (grade 3), John Bestvater (grade 6), Peter Abram Hiebert (grade 6), Tena Friesen (grade 4), Arthur D. Fast (grade 7), George G. Ewert (grade 8)
1958-1959	George G. Ewert (grade 8), John G. Dyck (grade 4), John Bestvater (grades 5-6), Peter Abram Hiebert (grade 6), Elsie Wedel (grade 1), Henry P. Friesen (grade 7)
1959-1960	?
1960-1961	John Bestvater (grade 7), George G. Ewert (grade 8), Peter Abram Hiebert (grade 6), Helen Hildebrand (grade 4), Leonora Nettie Labun (grade 2), Irvin H. Penner (grade 6), Adeline Erika Redekop (grade 1), Abram E. Rempel (grade 8), Lorraine Ruth Regier (grade 3), Elsie Wedel (grade 2)
1961-1962	John Bestvater (grade 7), John G. Dyck (grade 5), Madeleine Ruth Enns (grade 2), George G. Ewert (grade 8), Helen Feniuk (grade 1), Elizabeth Friesen (grade 4), John Friesen (grade 8), Edna Giesbrecht (grade 3), Lorna Gwendolyn Giesbrecht (grade 2), Peter Abram Hiebert (grade 6), Lorraine Ruth Regier (grade 3), Irvin H. Penner (grade 6), Melita Elma Peters (grade 4)
1962-1963	Olga Peter Dick (grade 5), Madeleine Ruth Enns (grade 2), George G. Ewert (grade 8), Helen Feniuk (grade 1), Elizabeth Friesen (grade 4), Allan Giesbrecht (grade 7), Edna Giesbrecht (grade 3), Lorna Gwendolyn Giesbrecht (grade 2), Peter Abram Hiebert (grade 6), Irvin H. Penner (grade 6), Melita Elma Peters (grade 4), Henriette Gerda Reimer (grade 1)
1963-1964	Olga Peter Dick (grade 5), Madeleine Ruth Enns (grade 2), George G. Ewert (grade 7), Helen Feniuk (grade 1), Lorna Gwendolyn Giesbrecht (grade 2), Peter Abram Hiebert (grade 6), Helmuth Eric Klassen (grade 5), Lottie Margaret Klassen (grade 3), Henry Olfert (grade 6), Irvin H. Penner (grade 7), Melita Elma Peters (grade 4), Henriette Gerda Reimer (grade 1), Mary Rose Reimer (grade 3)
1964-1965	George G. Ewert (grade 8), Carol June Friesen (grade 5), Gloria Elaine Hildebrand (grade 4), Ruth I. Giesbrecht (grade 1), Henry Olfert (grade 6), Melita Elma Peters (grade 4), Henriette Gerda Reimer (grade 1), Mary Rose Reimer (grade 3), Virginia Ann Reimer (grade 3), Irene Wiebe (grade 2)
1965-1966	Diana Carol Dyck (grade 3), George G. Ewert (grade 8), Rudy David Fast (grade 6), Carol June Friesen (grade 5), Agnes Hildebrand (grade 1), Brigette Erika Ursula Janz (grade 4), Henriette Gerda Reimer (grade 1), Kathleen Sara Reimer (grade 4), Virginia Ann Reimer (grade 3), Irene Wiebe (grade 2)
1966-1967	Mary Rose Derksen (kindergarten), Marion Joyce Dueck (grade 2), Diana Carol Dyck (grade 3), Rudy Peter Ewert (grade 5), Rudy David Fast (grade 6), Brigette Erika Ursula Janz (grade 4), Diana Lynn Klassen (grade 3), Hildegarde Anne Kroeker (grade 5), Henriette Gerda Reimer (grade 1), Melvin C. Toews (grade 6), Debbie Ursula Wittenberg (grade 1)
1967-1968	Marion Joyce Dueck (grade 2), Margaret Anne Engbrecht (kindergarten), Rudy Peter Ewert (grade 5), Lauren Jean Friesen (grade 1), Susan Friesen (grade 4), Brigette Erika Ursula Janz (grade 4), Diana Lynn Klassen (grade 3), Hildegarde Anne Kroeker (grade 3), Lottie Mooney (ungraded), Mary Ruth Penner (grade 2), Henriette Gerda Reimer (grade 1), Melvin C. Toews (grade 6)

Photos & Coordinates

Steinbach School No. 3 (1957) Source: Archives of Manitoba, Government Photographs (CH 0267), GR10030, ST-27-7. Southwood School (no date) Source: Archives of Manitoba, Manitoba School Records Collection, GR2656, Hanover School Division Collection, Series 1, #39 - Southwood School. Southwood School (no date) Source: Archives of Manitoba, Manitoba School Records Collection, GR2656, Hanover School Division Collection, Series 1, #40 - Southwood School. Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.52111, W96.68441 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

“Steinbach district news [New School],” Steinbach Carillon, 20 June 1946, page 6.

“Official opening of new school,” Steinbach Carillon, 31 October 1947, page 2.

“Dedication service for new school held,” Steinbach Carillon, 7 November 1947, page 1.

“.. And their four schools,” Steinbach Carillon, 1 October 1954, page 13.

“Steinbach [The building boom ...],” Steinbach Carillon, 5 August 1960, page 7.

“Home of the week [Steinbach Lumber Yards Ltd.],” Steinbach Carillon, 26 August 1960, page 5.

Manitoba School Records Collection, Steinbach School District No. 65 (Southwood School) - Daily Registers, GR2656, Archives of Manitoba.

Steinbach, So Much to Celebrate: 1946-1996, Derksen Printers, 1997. [Manitoba Legislative Library, F 5649.S84]

Obituary [Alice Bernice Keith Laing], Winnipeg Free Press, 15 June 2019.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 15 June 2019

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