Historic Sites of Manitoba: Elma School / Maplestead School No. 1090 (RM of Grey)

The Maplestead School District was established formally in August 1900 and it operated a one-room schoolhouse on the southwest quarter of 24-8-3 west of the Principal Meridian, in the Rural Municipality of Grey. Known originally as Elma School, it was renamed in December 1918 to avoid confusion with Elma School No. 1286. The original schoolhouse was replaced with a new structure in 1951 and the former building was moved to Elm Creek where it was for a time as the Legion Hall before being demolished in 1982. The new school featured indoor toilets and a full basement with a play area. It closed permanently in 1967, remaining students went to Elm Creek Consolidated School No. 812, and the school district was formally dissolved in January 1968.

The teachers of Maplestead School were Miss Semple (1901-1904), Miss Emes (1904), Miss Ethel Kirley (1905), Miss Vilbory Eyolfson (c1905), Margaret Dickie (1905), Vivian Durden (c1905), Miss Bertha Foster (1906), Miss McKenty (1907-1908), Myrtle Davidson (1909), Miss M. Edith Tighe (1909), Charles [Peake?] Geake (1909-1910), Annie E. Canavan (1910), Annie I. Setter (1911-1912), Carrie B. McCall (1912), Anna Johnston (1912), H. Thornton (1912), Olive L. Mills (1913), Agnes Lee (1913), M. Ethel Mountain (1914-1915, 1916), Lola L. Alguire (1915-1916), Teresa F. O'Neail (1916), Margaret K. Marr (1917-1919), Marjorie Moffat (1919), Mary L. Lamont (1919), Margaret Marr (1920-1921), M. Edith Palmer (1921-1923), Mabel J. Kellington (1923), Reta Hipwell (1924), Gudrun A. Marteinsson (1924-1925), C. B. Doughty (1925-1926), L. A. McCulloch (1926), Charlotte D. MacQuarrie (1926-1927), J. Ensworth Morison (1927-1928), Vilborg C. Eyolfson (1929), Constance Grace Franzmann (1929-1932), Madeline Edith Franzmann (1932-1938), Marie Valentine Larson (1938-1939), Irene Merle Bell (1939-1940), Dorothy Elena Grammer Moran (1940-1942), Genevieve Zrudlo (1942-1943), Eda Jean Stanton (1943-1944, 1945-1946), Eugene Dennis LaTour (1944-1945), Joyce Mae Bullied (1946-1947), Eleanor Joyce Andrews (1947-1949), Doris Lorraine Hamelin (1949-1950), Mary Neufeld (1950-1951), Lois Rose Dureau (1951-1952), Arlene Nancy Newman (1952-1953), Josephine Lorraine Simm (1953-1955), Susan Toews (1955-1956), Donald Clifford “Don” Woods (1956-1958), Betty Marguerite Armstrong (1958-1959), Ellen Jeannette Davis (1959-1960), Donna Patricia Orpin (1960-1961), Marilyn Elizabeth Tencha (1961-1962), Geraldine Mary Swain (1962-1963), and Eleanor Joyce Fruck (1963-1967).

The monument at the former school site was erected in 1992, for the Elm Creek centennial year, and dedicated to the pioneers, teachers, and students of Maplestead School.

The original Maplestead School building (no date) by Arthur James Manning Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 56. Maplestead School commemorative monument (August 2010) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Maplestead School commemorative monument (June 2022) Source: Rose Kuzina Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.67244, W97.75491 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.

A Century of Memories: Elm Creek Centennial History Book, 1892-1992 edited by Doug and Hazel Frost. [Legislative Library of Manitoba, F5649.E46 Cen]

Manitoba School Records Collection, Maplestead School District No. 1090 - Daily Registers, GR2085, Archives of Manitoba.

Manitoba School Records Collection, Elma School District No. 1090 - Daily Registers, GR2085, Archives of Manitoba.

Manitoba School Records Collection, Elma School District No. 1090 - Cash Book, GR2085, Archives of Manitoba.

We thank Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 17 June 2022

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