Hello,

 

I was very happy to see that Saskatchewan has a One Room School Project. 

 

My father, Ernie UnRuh, taught in a number of one-room school houses in Saskatchewan. I have attached a few photos that might be of interest to the Project. He and Sylvia Benoit had six children, who went to one-room school houses at various times in their lives. In fact, in Carlton, he was the last Principal/Teacher before the school was moved to Duck Lake in 1963 - five of his six children went to school there. I have 38 photos of most, not all, of the students from I think it is 1963, which I would be pleased to send to you if you are interested in them.

 

The photos I have attached are:

 

- my father with students when he was teaching at Mount Teviot School in Brightholme in 1953; 

- my father with his first son, David, at the doors of the teacherage at Mount Teviot School, Brightholme, 1953;

- some of the students at the Collins School Hallowe'en party near Beechy, Sask.,1956; and

- Cowessess Day School near Broadview, Sask., 1965 - the grade one class;

- Cowessess Day School going on a field trip to Regina, 1965;

- the link to the photos of the students at Carlton Siding School (1963) is http://picasaweb.google.com/jblaisbenoit/ErnieUnRuhLastPrincipalOfCarltonSidingSchoolCarltonSaskatchewan1963?authkey=J-vsPuTPdMw but you should get this as a separate e-mail if all goes well :)

 

Feel free to use whichever photos you think might be useful.

 

Following is a short bio of Ernie UnRuh - the one-room schools are indicated in bold, and following the bio are the schools that I think correspond to the schools listed in the Project's registry.

 

First the bio: 

 

Ernie UnRuh

 

22 Apr. 1926  Born in Lucky Lake, Sask., to David H. and Olga (Regier) UnRuh, German immigrants who fled Russia in 1924.

1944               Graduated from Grade 12 at Lucky Lake High School, Lucky Lake, Sask.

1944-45         Attended Normal School in Saskatoon, Sask.

1945               Taught at Rex School Division, Lloydminster, Alberta.

1945               Taught at Mount Nebo, Sask. (near Canwood).

1945-47?       Taught at Timberlost log school, about 20 miles from Big River, Sask. (37 students from Grades 1-8).

1947-48         Vice-Principal of a 5-room school in Big River.

1947-48         co-owned the Cafe in Bouchard's Hall, Big River.

1948-49         Ran the "Coffee Pot Cafe", Rosthern, Sask.

1949-51         Taught on Mistawasis First Nations School, near Mount Nebo, Sask.

1950               Married Sylvia Benoit from Leask, Sask. on Dec. 27.

1951-53         Taught at Brightholme (Mount Teviot) School, South of Shellbrook (29 children, Grades 1-11).

1952               Ran as Liberal Candidate in Provincial politics, Shellbrook - lost.

1953-54         With Mutual Life Insurance in Prince Albert, Sask.

1954-55         Continental Life Insurance Manager in Regina, Sask.

1956-57         Taught at Collins School, near Beechy, Sask.

1957               Campaign Manager for Dr. Partridge against John Diefenbaker, Prime Minister (in Prince Albert, Sask.).

1957               Ran the Lakeview Hotel and Waskesiu Lodge in Waskesiu, Sask.

1957-58         Principal at Tweedsmuir School (North West of Prince Albert in the Christopher Lake area). 

1958-60         Manager of Niagara Cyclo Massage in Prince Albert, Sask.

1958               Liberal candidate for Prince Albert against John Diefenbaker in Mar. - lost.

July 1958       Manager of Niagara Cyclo Massage, Saskatoon , Sask.

1960-63         Taught at Carlton Siding School (One-Room Grades 1-8) at Carlton, Sask. Wife, Sylvia, helped with the music programme.

1963-65         Taught at the Cowessess First Nations Day School (near Broadview, Sask) (two-room school house). Wife, Sylvia, helped with the music programme and gave cooking lessons to the women.

Cowessess First Nation - Home to Lakeside Day School opened in 1934
Cowesses First Nation on Sask Biz

1965               Taught at Sawanik First Nations School, near Prince Albert, Sask.

1966-67         Taught the inmates at Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert.

1967-71         Moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba . Taught at Stony Mountain Penitentiary near Winnipeg.

May 71           Graduated with a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) from the Univ. of Saskatoon, Sask., and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from the Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg, on the same day.

1971-74         Taught at Aberdeen Jr. Middle School, Winnipeg.

1974-76         Vice Principal at Isaac Newton Middle School, Winnipeg.

1976-81         Principal of Aberdeen Jr. Middle School, Winnipeg.

1981-86         Vice Principal of Sisler Middle School, Winnipeg.

1987-89         Principal of Churchill High School, Winnipeg.

1989               Retired.

22 Nov. 2004  Died at age 78 - buried in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He and wife, Sylvia, had six children: David (1952), Donald (1953), Jo-Ann (1955), Daryl and Caryl (1957) and Dwane (1960).

 

 

The various one-room schools that he taught at and that are listed in the One-Room School House Project are:

 

1945: 

MOUNT NEBO / MT NEBO

School District # 442

Sec

Tsp 50

Rge 6

W of the 3 Meridian

Sk A / Sask A

Shellbrook / Mont Nebo

Book: Pages of the Past : History of Shell Lake-Mont Nebo districts
Mont Nebo School District 442
School built 1906, and closed 1955
Shell Lake History (Association) Shell Lake, Saskatchewan: Shell Lake History, 1986

1945-47:    Timberlost log school - can't find. (20 miles from Big River) - it might be under Timberland:

TIMBERLAND

School District # 5080

Sec

Tsp 54

Rge 11

W of the 3 Meridian

Sk A

Leoville

Timberland School built 1936 and closed in 1957 is located 12 kilomters northeast of Leoville in Spiritwood RM 496. Timberland was declared a National Historic Site January 10, 1995.

 

1949-51:

MISTAWASIS

School District # 137

Sec

Tsp

Rge

W of the Meridian

Sk A

Mount Nebo / Ordale

 

 

1951-53:

 

 

BRIGHTHOLM

School District # 2204

Sec

Tsp 48

Rge 4

W of the 3 Meridian

Sk A

Shellbrook

 

1956-57:

COLLINS, THE

School District # 3235

NW

Sec 11

Tsp 21

Rge 11

W of the 3 Meridian

CA A

Beechy * / Ardkenneth *

 

1957-58:

 

                      TWEEDSMUIR SCHOOL - Can't find it in the Project.  Maybe the closest would be:

SHELL LAKE

School District # 2903

SW

Sec 16

Tsp 50

Rge 8

W of the 3 Meridian

SASK CA A

Shell Lake *

 

1960-63:  this should say "Carlton Siding" - it's listed a few times under Carlton as well. We knew it as Carlton "Siding" School.

 

CALTON SIDING

School District # 4072

Sec

Tsp 44

Rge 4

W of the 3 Meridian

Sk A

Carlton

 

CARLTON

School District # 864

Sec

Tsp 44

Rge 4

W of the 2 Meridian

Sask A

Carlton

 

1963-65:

                      Cowessess First Nations Day School near Broadview, Sask. - two-rooms, so probably doesn't count.

 

1965:

                       Sawanik First Nations School near Prince Albert, Sask. - can't find.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information. And also to let me know if you are interested in receiving the individual photos of the last class at the Carlton Siding One-Room School House.

 

Best wishes,

 

Jo-Ann UnRuh B

for the Ernie UnRuh family

e-mail: Jo-Ann UnRuh B

: e-mail