Historic Sites of Manitoba: Ridgeville School No. 102 / Ridgeville Consolidated School No. 2359 (Ridgeville, Municipality of Emerson-Franklin)

Link to:
Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

Ridgeville School No. 102 was formally established in October 1880, and a school house was built in 1885 about 1½ miles north of Ridgeville, in what is now the Municipality of Emerson-Franklin. In 1912, it was moved to this four-acre site in Ridgeville. Enlarged in 1920, it became a two-room school in 1930, and began offering instruction at the grade 11 level in 1933. During the school consolidation movement of the 1950s and 1960s, it joined Springbank School No. 104 and Emerado School No. 1237 to form Ridgeville Consolidated School No. 2359.

The consolidated school opened in late 1958 in a newly built wood-frame, four-room structure offering instruction in grades 1 to 12. In 1961, Overstone School No. 1106 joined the consolidated district and its school house was brought to the site, providing a fifth classroom. In April 1967, the school joined Boundary School Division No. 16. With declining enrollment in the early 1970s, it closed in June 1972, after which the building was used for community events through the mid-1970s. It was eventually sold at auction to a private owner.

The years had not been kind to the former Ridgeville Consolidated School building. At the time of a 2011 site visit, most of its windows were broken and the roof had collapsed in several places. The building was demolished by the municipality in late 2015. Only a concrete pad remains at the site.

Principals

Period	Principal
1928-1929	Cecilia Teresa Alke (1905-1991)
1929-1930	Hilda Harrison
1930-1932	Emma Gruenke Kornelsen (1896-1985)
1932-1933	John Clayton Stewart (1906-1990)
1933-1936	Lois Mae Falloon (1910-2000)
1936-1939	Harry Sharpe (c1905-1958)
1939-1941	Frank Cecil Jacobs (1914-2002)
1941-1942	Olive Mildred McMahon (c1914-1962)
1942-1944	Emma Gruenke Kornelsen (1896-1985)
1944-1945	Emma Idea Scheibe Gilchrist (1917-2004)
1945-1946	Alma Clara Schiebe
1946-1947	Lucille Elise Desaulniers
1947-1949	no Principal
1949	Ada Marjorie Balderstone
1950	Stanley Francis Pye (1908-1985)
1950-1952	Michael Romanuik
1952-1954	Iris Noreen Ginn
1954-1955	Mary P. Kolodzinski Paley (1917-2005)
1955-1956	John William “Bill” Carroll
1956-1966	Peter Yarmie (1933-1988)
1966-1967	Sheila Diane Lenton
1967-1968	Wayne Frank Okapiec
1968-1970	Otto Rosner
1970-1971	Samuel Symons
1971-1972	Andrew Alexiuk

Vice-Principals

Period	Vice-Principal
1961-1965	Mytro “Tony” Onysko (1928-1992)

Teachers

Period	Teachers
1908-1909	M. McLennan, John William Lawbe Doubleday
1909-1910	John William Lawbe Doubleday
1910-1911	?
1911-1912	George William Burrell, S. Gertie Turner
1912-1913	?
1913-1914	Eleanor M. Fry
1914-1915	?
1915-1916	Hazel Stewart
1916-1917	?
1917-1918	?
1918-1919	?
1919-1920	M. Amy Duff
1920-1921	Georgina E. McKay
1921-1922	A. Helen Spear
1922-1923	L. Alvina Killen
1923-1924	Louise M. Gruenke
1924-1925	H. S. Percival
1925-1926	L. B. Moar, Alice M. Jack
1926-1927	?
1927-1928	J. Ritchie
1928-1929	Cecilia Teresa Alke (grades 5-9), Pauline Johnson (grades 1-4)
1929-1930	Hilda Harrison (grades 5-10), Rosa Mary Remus (grades 1-5)
1930-1931	Emma Gruenke (grades 5-9), Rosa Mary Remus (grades 1-5)
1931-1932	Emma Gruenke (grades 5-10), Rosa Mary Remus (grades 1-5)
1932-1933	Annie McKinnon (grades 1-6), John Clayton Stewart (grades 7-11)
1933-1934	Lois Mae Falloon (grades 7-11), Annie McKinnon (grades 1-6)
1934-1935	Lois Mae Falloon (grades 7-11), Annie McKinnon (grades 1-6)
1935-1936	Lois Mae Falloon (grades 7-11), Annie McKinnon (grades 1-6)
1936-1937	Amelia Mary Lee (grades 1-6), Harry Sharpe (grades 7-11)
1937-1938	Amelia Mary Lee (grades 1-6), Harry Sharpe (grades 7-11)
1938-1939	Amelia Mary Lee (grades 1-6), Harry Sharpe (grades 7-11)
1939-1940	M. Eyjolfson (grades 7-11, 1939), Frank Cecil Jacobs (grades 7-11), Amelia Mary Lee (grades 1-6)
1940-1941	Frank Cecil Jacobs (grades 7-11), Amelia Mary Lee (grades 1-6)
1941-1942	Olive Mildred McMahon (grades 7-11, 1941), Mary Jenkins Perry (grades 7-11, 1942), Myrtle Jean Russenel (grades 1-6)
1942-1943	Emma Gruenke (grades 7-11), Katherine Hamm (grades 1-6)
1943-1944	Marie-Therese Larose (grades 1-8), Emma Gruenke (grades 9-11)
1944-1945	Alma Clara Schiebe (grades 1-8), Emma Ida Schiebe (grades 9-11)
1945-1946	Elizabeth F. Green (grades 1-8, 1945), Alma Clara Schiebe (grades 9-11), Lillian Schultz (grades 1-8, 1946)
1946-1947	Lucille Elise Desaulniers (grades 7-11), Josephine Melnychuk (grades 1-6)
1947-1948	Josephine Melnychuk (grades 1-8), (grades 9-11 not available)
1948-1949	John Senkiw (grades 1-8), (grades 9-11 not available)
1949-1950	Ada Marjorie Balderstone (grades 7-11, 1949), Stanley Francis Pye (grades 7-11, 1950), John Senkiw (grades 1-6)
1950-1951	Ethel D. Adam (grades 1-6, 1950), Elizabeth Gwendoline McKenzie (grades 1-6, 1950), Aline May Nadiger (grades 1-6, 1951), Michael Romaniuk (grades 7-11)
1951-1952	Michael Romaniuk (grades 7-11), Shirley Geraldine Solar (grades 1-6)
1952-1953	Iris Noreen Ginn (grades 7-11), Shirley Geraldine Solar (grades 1-6)
1953-1954	Iris Noreen Ginn (grades 7-11), Shirley Geraldine Solar (grades 1-6)
1954-1955	Elsie Mary Bodnarchuk (grades 1-6), Mary P. Kolodzinski Paley (grades 7-11)
1955-1956	Roy Belding Pickell (grades 1-6), John William “Bill” Carroll (grades 7-11)
1956-1957	M. Frances Jablonski (grades 1-6), Peter Yarmie (grades 7-11)
1957-1958	Edward Chesko (grades 1-6), Peter Yarmie (grades 7-11)
1958-1959	Gabriel Jean Girard (grades 9-10), Raymond Painchaud (grades 9-10, 1959), Grayce Irene Seward (grades 1-4), Irene Treichel (grades 5-8), Peter Yarmie (grades 11-12)
1959-1960	Gabriel Jean Girard (grades 9-10), Pauline Nedohin (grades 5-8), Grayce Irene Seward (grades 1-4), Peter Yarmie (grades 11-12)
1960-1961	Gabriel Jean Girard (grades 9-10), Pauline Nedohin (grades 5-8), Grayce Irene Seward (grades 1-4), Peter Yarmie (grades 11-12)
1961-1962	Pauline Nedohin (grades 3-5), Mytro “Tony” Onysko (grades 9-10), Otto Rosner (grades 6-8), Grayce Irene Seward (grades 1-3), Peter Yarmie (grades 11-12)
1962-1963	Pauline Nedohin (grades 3-5), Mytro “Tony” Onysko (grades 9-10), Otto Rosner (grades 6-8), Grayce Irene Seward (grades 1-3), Peter Yarmie (grades 11-12)
1963-1964	Pauline Nedohin (grades 3-5), Mytro “Tony” Onysko (grades 9-10), Otto Rosner (grades 6-8), Grayce Irene Seward (grades 1-3), Peter Yarmie (grades 11-12)
1964-1965	Pauline Nedohin (grades 3-5), Mytro “Tony” Onysko (grades 9-10), Otto Rosner (grades 6-8), Grayce Irene Seward (grades 1-3), Peter Yarmie (grades 11-12)
1965-1966	Sheila Diane Lenton (grades 3-5), Edythe Merle Pickell (grades 9-10), Otto Rosner (grades 6-8), Grayce Irene Seward (grades 1-2), Peter Yarmie (grades 11-12)
1966-1967	Gabriel Jean Girard (grades 9-10), Kathleen Ruth Kerda (grades 1-3), Sheila Diane Lenton (grades 4-6), Carole June Warkentin (grades 7-8)
1967-1968	Kathleen Ruth Kerda (grades 1-2), Olga Margaret Ann Lobur (grades 3-4), Sheila Diane Lenton (grades 6-7), Wayne Frank Okapiec (grade 8), Gail Reesa Tolchinsky (grade 5)
1968-1969	Andrew Alexiuk (grade 7), Kathleen Ruth Kerda (grades 1-3), Olga Margaret Ann Lobur (grade 6), Otto Rosner (grade 8), Gail Reesa Tolchinsky (grades 4-5)
1969-1970	Andrew Alexiuk (grade 8), Sarah Jane Hunter (grades 1-2), Sheila Diane Lenton (grades 5-6), Otto Rosner (grade 7), Gail Reesa Tolchinsky (grades 3-4)
1970-1971	Andrew Alexiuk (grades 5-6), Margaret Lee Chubaty (grades 1-2), Samuel Symons (grades 7-8), Gail Reesa Tolchinsky (grades 3-4)
1971-1972	Andrew Alexiuk (grades 7-8), Margaret Lee Chubaty (grades 1-2), Bruce G. Clark (grades 5-6), Sheila Diane Lenton (grades 3-4)

Photos & Coordinates

Ridgeville School (circa 1928) Source: Judy Gleich Ridgeville School (1967) Source: Archives of Manitoba, Manitoba Local Government Boundaries Commission, File 173 Ridgeville. Exterior of the former Ridgeville School building (May 2011) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Interior of the former Ridgeville School building (May 2011) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.06653, W97.01501 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.

“700 attend old school reunion,” Steinbach Carillon, 12 July 1972, page 31.

“Boundary School Division No. 16, Notice of Tender,” Steinbach Carillon, 19 December 1973, page 13.

Arnaud Through the Years by Arnaud Historical Society, 1974. [Manitoba Legislative Library]

Manitoba School Records Collection, Ridgeville School District No. 102 Daily Registers, GR2088, Archives of Manitoba.

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

Manitoba Local Government Boundaries Commission, Schools in Manitoba - Volume 2, Ridgeville School - File 173, March 1968, Archives of Manitoba.

We thank Holly Thorne, Carol Wilkinson, Judy Gleich, and Brian Nedohin for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 24 May 2021

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