The Eigenhof School District (spelled Eigenhoff in some sources) was established in June 1911 and a one-room schoolhouse operated at SE22-1-2W in what is now the Municipality of Rhineland. After the school closed in the summer of 1969, Eigenhof operated for a time as a “closed district” (1969-1971) where the school board paid to enable the remaining six students from this area to attend Gretna School. In 1971, the district formally became part of the Rhineland School Division. A portion of the former schoolyard was sold to the farmer who owned the adjacent land. The remainder of the property, including the teacherage (constructed in the summer of 1961, with the older teacherage moved to the village of Rosetown), was sold for residential purposes. The teacherage was moved away.
Among the teachers who worked at Eigenhof School through the years were Mary [Marie] Suderman (Spring 1912 - Spring 1913), Sarah [Sara] E. Neufeld (Fall 1913 - Spring 1915), William Toews (Fall 1915 - Spring 1916), Caroline Mohr (Fall 1916 - Spring 1917), Lena J. Enns (Fall 1917 - Spring 1918), William J. Toews (Fall 1918 - Spring 1919, [pt Fall] ?-December 1919 - Spring 1920), S. T. Olson (September-? [pt Fall] 1919), Marie Klassen (Fall 1920 - Spring 1923), Kate Klassen (Fall 1923 - Spring 1925, Fall 1934 - Spring 1936), Elizabeth Klassen (Fall 1925 - Spring 1928), Margaret F. Friesen (Fall 1928 - Spring 1931), Bernard D. Klippenstein (Fall 1931 - Spring 1933), William Frank Derkesen (Fall 1933 - Spring 1934), John William Driedger (Fall 1936 - Spring 1938), John Peter Dyck (Fall 1938 - Spring 1943), Isaac A. Enns (Fal 1943 - Spring 1947), David Friesen Wiebe (Fall 1947 - Spring 1948, Fall 1951 - Spring 1954), William Schroeder (Fall 1948 - Spring 1949), Katie Janzen (Fall 1949 - Spring 1950, later married Mr. Brown), Abram Daniel Friesen (Fall 1950 - Spring 1951), Cornelius D. “Neil” Wiebe (Fall 1954 - Spring 1956), Bernard Dyck Klippenstein (Fall 1956 - Spring 1958), Ben Donald Wiebe (Fall 1958 - Spring 1959), Peter “Pete” Hildebrand (Fall 1959 - Spring 1960), Henry P. Unger (Fall 1960 - Spring 1963), Benjamin “Ben” Hiebert (Fall 1963 - Spring 1964), Tina Thiessen (Fall 1964 - Spring 1967, later married Mr. Bergen), Gordon Glen Wiebe (Fall 1967 - Spring 1968), and Allan Giesbrecht (Fall 1968 - Spring 1969).
The original Eigenhof School building (no date) by G. G. Neufeld
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 145.
Group of students at Eigenhof School (no date)
Source: Frank Kehler
Students beside the original teacherage (no date)
Source: Frank Kehler
Students in front of the school entrance (no date)
Source: Frank Kehler
View of Eigenhof School and teacherage (March 1955)
Source: Frank Kehler
Aerial view of Eigenhof School and second teacherage (1964)
Source: Frank KehlerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.04529, W97.64866
denoted by symbol on the map above
Altona East topographic map, 62H/4 East, Edition 1, Series A743 [UFS Reference Collection].
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.
Summative half-yearly returns for school districts (A 0051), GR0571, Archives of Manitoba.
School division and school district formation files (E 0027), Eigenhof School No. 1591, GR1688, Archives of Manitoba.
School division and school district formation files (E 0027), Certificates of Title for Old School Sites: #1591 - Eigenhof, GR1181, Archives of Manitoba.
School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.
Manitoba School Records Collection, Eigenhof School District No. 1591 - Daily Registers, GR2656, Archives of Manitoba.
Manitoba School Records Collection, Eigenhof School District No. 1591 - Cash Book, GR2656, Archives of Manitoba.
School Division borrowing files (MA 0038), Eigenhof School District #1591, GR1798, Archives of Manitoba.
Municipal borrowing files (MA 0039), Eigenhof School District #1591, GR1799, Archives of Manitoba.
We thank Armin Wiebe for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer, Al Schmidt (Altona and District Heritage Research Centre), Frank Kehler, Henry Unger, and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 14 March 2026
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