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Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources
In the 1870s, Schoenwiese was one of the larger villages established in the Mennonite West Reserve, in what is now the Rural Municipality of Rhineland. By 1881, its 31 households had a total population of 171 people, including many children. Until the 1920s, the children were educated at a private German-language school. In 1923, the school became bilingual, with half of the instruction occurring in English and half in German. In July 1925, this was no longer considered acceptable, and the English-only Schoenwiese School District was organized formally. During this transition period, many residents of the area moved to Mexico. Grade 1 and 2 classes were held in a building at the south end of the village, while classes in grades 3 to 8 were held in a building at this site. A two-room schoolhouse was constructed here by 1930.
The school operated until 1982 when children were bused to Reinland School No. 2130 at Reinland, along with children from the surrounding communities of Rosengart and Haskett. After a period of use as a community centre, the school building was removed from the site. The original school building was renovated into a teacherage then was used as a granary and later a workshop. Still standing in Schoenwiese (about N49.03530, W97.82078), it is used for accommodating livestock.
Period
Principal
1934-1937
Bernard Daniel Hildebrand
1937-1941
Jacob Peter Friesen
1941-1943
Peter Aron Rempel
1943-1944
Katherine Wiebe Peters
1944-1945
Frank Peter Giesbrecht
1945-1947
Margaret Reimer
1947-1949
Katharina Wiebe Peters
1949-1950
Jacob J. Bergen
1950-1952
Esther Pearl Schellenberg
1952-1955
Daniel D. Peters
1955-1957
no Principal
1958-1959
Arthur Frank Sawatzky
1959-1963
no Principal
1963-1966
Abram Jacob Friesen
1966-1968
Jacob J. Enns
Period
Teachers
1934-1935
Bernard Daniel Hildebrand (grades 4-9), Mary E. Hildebrand (grades 1-3)
1935-1936
Bernard Daniel Hildebrand (grades 4-7), Anna Janzen (grades 1-3)
1936-1937
Bernard Daniel Hildebrand (grades 4-8), Anna Janzen (grades 1-3)
1937-1938
Ella J. Adrian (grades 1-3), Jacob Peter Friesen (grades 4-9)
1938-1939
Jacob Peter Friesen (grades 4-10), Anna Wiebe (grades 1-3)
1939-1940
Jacob Peter Friesen (grades 4-9), Anna Wiebe (grades 1-3)
1940-1941
Jacob Peter Friesen (grades 4-8), Anna Wiebe (grades 1-3)
1941-1942
Jessie Dyck (grades 1-3), Peter Aron Rempel (grades 4-8)
1942-1943
Jessie Dyck (grades 1-3), Peter Aron Rempel (grades 4-9)
1943-1944
Jessie Dyck (grades 1-3), Katherine Wiebe Peters (grades 4-10)
1944-1945
Jessie Dyck (grades 1-3), Frank Peter Giesbrecht (grades 4-9)
1945-1946
Justine Reimer (grades 1-3), Margaret Reimer (grades 4-10)
1946-1947
Justine Reimer (grades 1-4), Margaret Reimer (grades 5-9)
1947-1948
Susie E. Hildebrandt (grades 1-4), Katharina Wiebe Peters (grades 5-9)
1948-1949
Katharina Wiebe Peters (grades 5-9), Sarah Zacharias (grades 1-4)
1949-1950
Jacob J. Bergen (grades 4-8), Margaret Bergen (grades 1-3)
1950-1951
Helen Penner (1-4 grades), Esther Pearl Schellenberg (grades 4-9)
1951-1952
Tina Redekopp (grades 1-4), Esther Pearl Schellenberg (grades 4-9)
1952-1953
Daniel D. Peters (grades 5-8), Mrs. Daniel D. Peters (grades 1-4)
1953-1954
Daniel D. Peters (grades 5-9), Louise Peter (grades 1-4)
1954-1955
Daniel D. Peters (grades 5-9), Elma Peters (grades 1-4)
1955-1956
Daniel D. Peters (grades 1-10)
1956-1957
Arthur Frank Sawatzky (grades 1-9)
1957-1958
Justine Falk (grades 1-3, 1958), Arthur Frank Sawatzky (grades 1-8; grades 4-8, 1958)
1958-1959
Arthur Frank Sawatzky (grades 1-10)
1959-1960
Erdman Klassen (grades 1-9)
1960-1961
Erdman Klassen (grades 1-10)
1961-1962
Peter J. Voth (grades 1-9)
1962-1963
Peter J. Voth (grades 1-9)
1963-1964
Abram Jacob Friesen (grades 1-8, 1963; grades 4-8), Hilda Friesen (grades 1-3)
1964-1965
Caroline Ann Elias (grades 1-3), Abram Jacob Friesen (grades 4-8)
1965-1966
Caroline Ann Elias Ens (grades 1-4), Abram Jacob Friesen (grades 5-8)
1966-1967
Caroline Ann Elias Ens (grades 1-4), Jacob J. Enns (grades 5-8)
1967-1968
Caroline Ann Elias Ens (grades 1-4), Jacob J. Enns (grades 5-8)
Among the teachers of Schoenwiese School were Ida Hiebert (1926-1927), Isbrand J. Krueger (1927-1928 & night school), Anna Hendricks (1928-1929), Peter Jacob Heinrichs (1929-1934), Mary Ann Wiebe (1981-1982), and Peter Friesen (1981-1982).
The original Schoenwiese School building (no date) by G. G. Neufeld
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-3, page 101.
The original Schoenwiese School building (February 2015)
Source: Albert Falk
The original Schoenwiese School building (November 2020)
Source: Rose Kuzina
The second Schoenwiese School building (1941)
Source: Albert Falk
The second Schoenwiese School building (circa 1986)
Source: Historic Resources Branch, Public School Buildings Inventory, slide 1085.
Former location of Schoenwiese School, marked with the sign that was once displayed over the entrance door to the building (February 2012)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.03729, W97.82258
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.
Border Valley Yearbook, 1982-1983.
A Study of Public School Buildings in Manitoba by David Butterfield, Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 1994, 230 pages.
Manitoba School Records Collection, Schoenwiese School No. 2134 Daily Registers, GR2656, Archives of Manitoba.
School division half-yearly attendance reports (E0757), Archives of Manitoba.
We thank Albert Falk, Margaret Friesen, Marjorie Hildebrand, and Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 18 December 2020
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