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Photos & Coordinates | Sources
The Vestri School District was established formally in March 1913 and a one-room schoolhouse operated at NE1-23-1E in what is now the Municipality of Bifrost-Riverton. In 1926, it was moved to at SW6-23-2E. A new building was constructed in 1941 and a teacherage was added in 1945. In 1966, the school closed and the district was dissolved. Its catchment area became part of the Arborg Consolidated School District and later the Evergreen School Division. The teacherage was sold and moved to Arborg. The school was sold and moved to Geysir. No vestige remains at the original site.
The teachers of Vestri School were Bertha Johnson (September-December 1913), Bjorg Jonsdottir (April-June 1914), Helga Kernested (September-December 1914), school did not operate (Spring 1915), Nellie Taylor (September-October 1915), Kristin S. Frederickson (May-July 1916, September-December 1916, March-July 1918, August-November 1918), Jonasina Stefanson (April-July 1917, July-November 1917), school closed due to influenza (November-December 1918), Stella Stevenson (March-July 1919, September-December 1919), Una Anderson (March 1920), Frank Ryan (March-July 1920), William Olson (September-December 1920), Bentina Erlendson (March-June 1921), Sigurlaug S. Johnson (September-December 1921), Helga Sigurdson (March-June 1922), Nina Skaftfeld (September-October 1922), Kristin Brynjolfson Stefanson (March-July 1923, Fall 1923 - Spring 1924, September-December 1924, March-June 1925), Bjarnfrid [Bjarnfridur?] Marteinson (September-December 1925), G. J. Olafson (March-June 1926), Emily Rosa Johnson (September-December 1926, February-June 1927, September-December 1927, February-June 1928), Gudrun K. Marteinson (September-December 1928), Ingibjorg Capitala Bjornson (February-June 1929), Einar Gislason (October-December 1929, February-June 1930, September-December 1930, February-June 1931, September-December 1931, January-June 1932, September-December 1932, February-June 1933, September-December 1935, February-June 1936, September-December 1936, February-June 1937, September-December 1937, January-June 1938, August-December 1938, January-June 1939, August-December 1939, pt January 1940, school closed due to measels outbreak (pt January - pt February 1940), pt February - June 1940, Fall 1945 - Spring 1946), Haldora [Halldora?] Sigurdson (September-December 1933, February-June 1934, September-December 1934, February-June 1935), Lois Cautley [Cantley?] Lund (Fall 1940 - Spring 1942), Gladys D. Arnold (Fall 1924 - Spring 1943), Helga Kristjariva? Gudmundson (Fall 1943 - Spring 1944), Grace Yvonne Arnold (Fall 1944 - Spring 1934), Edna Matheson (Fall 1946 - Spring 1947), G. L. Marsh (August-September 1947), Agnes Margaret Danielson (October 1947 - June 1948), Emily Agnes Martin (Fall 1948 - Spring 1951), Phyllis Blandina Brown (Fall 1951 - Spring 1952), Asta Halldora Finnson (Fall 1952 - Spring 1953), Joyce Christine Spring (Fall 1953 - Spring 1955), Shirley Eloise Baumgartner (Fall 1955 - Spring 1958), Eleanor Beatrice Martin (Fall 1958 - Spring 1961), Emily Agnes Lindal (Fall 1961 - Spring 1962), Victor Borgford (Fall 1962 - Spring 1964), Ronald Richard Sumka (Fall 1964 - Spring 1965), and Bernice Valdina Johnson (Fall 1965 - Spring 1966).
The original Vestri School building (no date) by H. D. Cumming
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-3, page 13.
Former site of Vestri School (June 2019)
Source: Rose KuzinaSite Coordinates (lat/long): N50.95036, W97.31600
denoted by symbol on the map above
Arborg topographic map, 62I/14, Edition 1, Series A743 [Archives of Manitoba].
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 Unfolds: History of Arborg and District, 1889-1987, researched and compimled by the Arborg Historical Society, 1987. [Legislative Library of Manitoba, F5649.A73 Cen]
Summative half-yearly returns for school districts (A 0051), Archives of Manitoba.
School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.
Manitoba School Records Collection, Vestri School District No. 1669 - Daily Registers, GR6124, Archives of Manitoba.
We thank Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 15 November 2023
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