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Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources
Operated in Steinbach, this educational facility was initially known Steinbach School No. 3 in the Steinbach School District No. 65. Following a vote of 100 to 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 opened officially on 5 November 1947. Present at the ceremony were School Board Chairman Jacob T. Loewen, Principal Peter Johan S. Guenther, Deputy Minister of Education Ronald Oliver MacFarlane, along with Reverends H. A. Brandt, P. D. Friesen, and Jacob Epp, of whom the latter two performed the school dedication.
Around 1960, the School Board renamed the facility as Southwood School during development of the surrounding Southwood neighbourhood. The original school building has since been demolished and replaced with a new structure.
Period
Principal
1947-1953
Peter Johan S. Guenther (1897-1991)
1953-1957
Ernest Arthur “Ernie” Friesen (1917-2012)
1957-1967
George 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-?
?
Period
Teachers
1947-1948
Hildegard “Hilda” Ediger (grades 2-3), Nettie Friesen (grades 3-4), Peter Johan 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
Peter Abram Hiebert (grade 6), John Bestvater (grade 6), John G. Dyck (grade 5), George Ewert (grade 8), Arthur D. Fast (grade 7), Elizabeth Friesen (grade 3), Tena Friesen (grade 4), Helga Peters (kindergarten), Edith Mary Wiebe (grade 1)
1958-1959
John Bestvater (grades 5-6), John G. Dyck (grade 4), George Ewert (grade 8), Henry P. Friesen (grade 7), Peter Abram Hiebert (grade 6), John E. Martens (grade 5), Elsie Wedel (grade 1)
1959-1960
John Bestvater (grades 5-6), George Ewert (grade 8), Peter Abram Hiebert (grade 6), ?
1960-1961
John Bestvater (grade 7), George 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 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 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 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 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 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)
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
“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.
We thank Ernie Braun for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 25 February 2024
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