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
1920-1924	Thomas Wilbert “Wib” Emerson (1888-1969)
1924-1925	Charles Foulsham Laine (1888-1945)
1925-1926	Leonard Kruger (c1898-1991)
1926-1930	Thomas Wilbert “Wib” Emerson (1888-1969)
1930-1931	Charles Edward Clare Durnin (c1903-1974)
1931-1945	Henry Wall
1945-1947	John S. Schellenberg (?-?)
1947-1949	Dietrich Richard 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)
1964-1972	Clifford Delbert Hall

Teachers

Year	Teachers
1920-1921	Lora M. Blanks (grades 1-3), Thomas W. Emerson (grades 3-7)
1921-1922	Lora M. Blanks (grades 1-3), Thomas W. Emerson (grades 6-8), Irene Robinson (grades 3-5)
1922-1923	Lora M. Blanks (grades 1-2), Thomas W. Emerson (grades 6-9), Irene Robinson (grades 3-5)
1923-1924	Lora M. Blanks (grades 1-3, August-December), Marjorie Casey (grades 3-6, May-June), Thomas W. Emerson (grades 8-10, August-December; grades 6-10, January-April; grades 7-10, May-June), Rupert Hoppa (grades 5-7, August-January), Margaret Sutherland (grades 1-3, January-June)
1924-1925	Charles Foulsham Laine (grades 7-11), Lucy Slaughter (grades 4-6), Helen Louise Verrall (grades 1-3)
1925-1926	Etta Jenkins (grades 1-3, January-June), Leonard Krueger (grades 9-11), Lucy Slaughter (grades 4-7), Helen Louise Verrall (grades 1-3, September-December)
1926-1927	Thomas W. Emerson (grades 8-11), Etta Jenkins (grades 4-6), Helen Louise Verrall (grades 1-3)
1927-1928	Ivodell Viola Busby (grades 1-2, April-June), Thomas W. Emerson (grades 7-10), Etta Jenkins (grades 3-6), Helen Louise Verrall (grades 1-2, August-April)
1928-1929	Ivodell Viola Busby (grades 1-2), Thomas W. Emerson (grades 7-10), Mildred Olive Warren (grades 3-6)
1929-1930	Thomas W. Emerson (grades 8-11), Ida Martha Jeske (grades 1-3), Eleanor Slaughter (grades 4-7)
1930-1931	Charles E. Durnin (grades 8-11), Ida Martha Jeske (grades ?), ? (grades 1-7)
1931-1932	Wilmet Margaretta Bowler (grades 1-2), Lily Annie Gillespie (grades 6-8), Ida Martha Jeske (grades 3-5), Henry Wall (grades 9-11)
1932-1933	Wilmet Margaretta Bowler (grades 1-2), Lily Annie Gillespie (grades 6-8), Ida Martha Jeske (grades 3-5), Henry Wall (grades 9-11)
1933-1934	Selma Margaret Davidson (grades 1-2), Lily Annie Gillespie (grades 6-8), Ida Martha Jeske (grades 3-5), Henry Wall (grades 9-11)
1934-1935	Linda Ruth Braun (grades 3-5), Selma Margaret Davidson (grades 1-2), Lily Annie Gillespie (grades 6-8), Henry Wall (grades 9-11)
1935-1936	Joseph Donald Huston (grades 6-8), Ida Martha Jeske (grades 3-5), Isobel Malcolmson (grades 1-2), Henry Wall (grades 9-11)
1936-1937	Ida Martha Jeske (grades 3-5), Harry Edwin Lawson (grades 6-8), Isobel Malcolmson (grades 1-2), Henry Wall (grades 9-11)
1937-1938	Ida Martha Jeske (grades 3-5), Harry Edwin Lawson (grades 6-8), Isobel Malcolmson (grades 1-2), Henry Wall (grades 9-11)
1938-1939	Evelyn Maude Fletcher (grades 3-5, January-June), Margaret Ellen McArter (grades 1-2), Mrs. W. F. Poersch (?), Henry Wall (grades 9-11), Isaac F. Wiens (grades 3-5, August-December), ? (grades 6-8)
1939-1940	Evelyn Maude Fletcher (grades 3-5), K. Elizabeth “Beth” Hoole (grades 1-2), Henry Wall (graes 9-11), Isaac F. Wiens (grades 6-8)
1940-1941	Mary Elizabeth Robinson (grades 1-2), Edith May Somerville (grades 3-5), Henry Wall (grades 9-11), Isaac F. Wiens (grades 6-8)
1941-1942	Ruth E. Bailey (grades 1-2), Edith May Somerville (grades 3-5), Benjamin “Ben” Unruh (grades 6-8, January-June), Henry Wall (grades 9-11), Isaac F. Wiens (grades 6-8, September-December)
1942-1943	Ruth E. Bailey (grades 1-2, September-December; grades 1-3, January-June), Henry Wall (grades 9-11), Katherine Caroline Weber (grades 6-8), ? (grades 4-5)
1943-1944	Ruth E. Bailey (grades 1-2), Laura May Ferguson (grades 3-5), Henry Wall (grades 9-11), Katherine Caroline Weber (grades 6-8)
1944-1945	Helen Katherine Brown (grades 6-8), Lois Mae Collins (grades 3-5), Marie Louise Friesen (grades 1-2), Henry Wall (grades 9-11)
1945-1946	Marie Louise Friesen (grades 1-2), Helen K. Hildebrand (grades 3-5), John S. Schellenberg (grades 9-11), Benjamin “Ben” Unruh (grades 6-8)
1946-1947	Marjorie Jean Fraser (grades 6-8), Marie Louise Friesen (grades 1-2), Audrey Pearl Johnson (grades 3-5, September-December), John S. Schellenberg (grades 9-11), Frederick Patterson “Fred” Sharpe (grades 3-5, January-June)
1947-1948	Dietrich Richard Dick (grades 9-11), Marjorie Jean Fraser (grades 5-8), Jean Gray (grades 1-4)
1948-1949	Dietrich Richard Dick (grades 9-11), Marjorie Elizabeth Ruth Harron (grades 1-4), Joseph A. Zuzanski (grades 5-8)
1949-1950	George W. Denstedt (grades 9-11), Marjorie Elizabeth Ruth Harron (grades 1-4), Mavis Ione Johnston (grades 5-8)
1950-1951	Isabelle Therese Berkvens (grades 1-4), L. A. Grabowsky (?), Evelyn Mary Carmichael Griffiths (grades 5-8, May-June), Stanley R. Kitchen (grades 9-11), Joan F. Murray (grades 5-8, September-December), Mary Rankins (grades 5-8, January-March), T. F. Tyler (grades 5-8, April)
1951-1952	Henry Albert Craig (grades 5-8), Stanley R. Kitchen (grades 9-11), Mary Klym (grades 1-4)
1952-1953	Henry Albert Craig (grades 5-8), Stanley R. Kitchen (grades 9-11), Annie Schellenberg (?), ? (grades 1-4)
1953-1954	Peter Enns (grades 5-8), Stanley R. Kitchen (grades 9-11), Annie Schellenberg (?), ? (grades 1-4)
1954-1955	Peter Enns (grades 4-8), Thelma Enns (grades 1-3)), Alex Sabeski (grades 9-11)
1955-1956	Margaret Amy McCullough (grades 4-8), Alex Sabeski (grades 9-11), ? (grades 1-3)
1956-1957	Margaret Amy McCullough (grades 5-8), Clara Irene McLeod (grades 1-4, April-June), Anne Veronica Nicolajsen (grades 1-3, September-March), Alex Sabeski (grades 9-11)
1957-1958	Margaret Amy McCullough (grades 5-8), Alex Sabeski (grades 9-11), Wilma Skeavington (grades 1-4)
1958-1959	Daniel Heide (grades 5-8), Alex Sabeski (grades 9-11), Wilma Skeavington (grades 1-4)
1959-1960	Daniel Heide (grades 6-8), Margaret Amy McCullough (grades 3-5), Margaret Fern Rose (grades 1-2), Alex Sabeski (grades 9-11)
1960-1961	Dulcie Jean Anderson (grades 3-5), Daniel Heide (grades 6-8), Margaret Fern Rose (grades 1-2)
1961-1962	Dulcie Jean Anderson (grades 3-5), Daniel Heide (grades 6-8), Margaret Fern Rose (grades 1-2)
1962-1963	Dulcie Jean Anderson (grades 4-5), Daniel Heide (grades 6-8), Margaret Fern Rose (grades 1-3)
1963-1964	Dulcie Jean Anderson (grades 3-4), Edward R. Arndt (grades 7-8), Elma Brandt (grades 5-6), Margaret Fern Rose (grades 1-2)
1964-1965	Dulcie Jean Anderson (grades 3-4), Edward R. Arndt (grades 7-8), Clifford Delbert Hall (grades 5-6), Margaret Fern Rose (grades 1-2)
1965-1966	Dulcie Jean Anderson (grades 3-4), George William Collier (grades 7-8), Clifford Delbert Hall (grades 5-6), Margaret Fern Rose (grades 1-2)
1966-1967	Dulcie Jean Anderson (grades 7-8), Muriel Etta Gehring (grades 3-4), Clifford Delbert Hall (grades 5-6), J. Neumann (?), Margaret Fern Rose (?), ? (grades 1-2)
1967-1968	Mary Guenter (?), Clifford Delbert Hall (grades 5-6), Myrna Mae Preston (?), Heather Lynne Sylvester (grades 3-4), ? (grades 1-2)
1968-1969	Mary Guenter (?), Clifford Delbert Hall (grades 5-6), Myrna Mae Preston (grades 1-2), Heather Lynne Sylvester (grades 3-4)
1969-1970	Emily Elizabeth Goring (grades 3-4), Clifford Delbert Hall (grades 5-6), Myrna Mae Preston (grades 1-2), Denise Yvonne Gillis Weselake (grades 7-8)
1970-1971	Gail Marlene Evans (grades 3-4), Clifford Delbert Hall (grades 5-6), Myrna Mae Preston Halstead (grades 1-2)
1971-1972	Gail Marlene Evans (grades 3-4), Clifford Delbert Hall (grades 5-6), Myrna Mae Preston Halstead (grades 1-2)

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]

Manitoba School Records Collection, Brunkild School District No. 1281 - Daily Registers, GR0638, Archives of Manitoba.

School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.

We thank Ed Arndt for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 4 September 2021

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