Strawberry Plains School District No. 1709
Strawberry Plains, the oldest school in the Irma district, was about 6-½
miles southeast of Irma on the NW 36-44-9 W4. It was named by
Michael Rubenok, who, with his family had come here in 1904 from
Tobacco Plains School District in Montana, so named the school from the
Plains and because he was impressed by the abundant crop of wild
strawberries that year.
As Hardisty was the end of the railroad at that time, settlers in 1906 and 1907 had their effects shipped there. Some of the original homesteaders were J.A. Purvis, C.T. Hill, Wm. Reed, Wm. Matheson, M. Rubenok, W. Milton, L. Jackson, A. Shapland and others. Later on more families arrived – A. Blakely, O. Chase, S. Johnston, L. Satre, R. Dawson, S. Nelson, A. Long, and F. Weise.
Early in 1907, a group of settlers met to discuss the necessity of a school. Among them were Shapland, Bayne, Rubenok, L. Jackson, Wm. Matheson and T. Morgan. The first regular meeting was held Nov. 11, 1907 with J.A. Purvis as chairman, W. Mildon Jr. as secretary and W. Bayne as treasurer.
According to the minutes of 1907, John Jackson donated the land, but a later report dated Oct. 5, 1908 stated that W.L. Mildon Jr. received $11 for the site. The school was constructed by W.L. Mildon Sr. for which he received $173. The approximate cost of the school was $1200 and it was ready for use in the fall of 1908. Pupils attending at that time were: May, Jack and George Reed; Irma and Howard Mildon, George, Joe, Annie, and Lizzie Rubenok, Ellis, Bill and Marian Bayne and two Chapman girls. Jas. Fenton, an early settler in the Sunny Brae school areas, sent his four children Eldon, May, Inez and Gordon to this school until Sunny Brae opened in June 1910.
Mr. Clifton Purvis was the first teacher, and he left after a year to study law. Other early teachers were: Miss Anna Bear, Miss McGregor, Miss A.B. Carruthers, Miss Esther Hill, Mrs. K.G. McKnight, Miss Shaw, Miss Jennie Nichol, Mrs. C.M. Christensen, H.A. Mitchell, Miss Victoria Stephens and Miss Ena Leppard.
In 1908, a literary society organized and met in the school. Rev. Lister, the first lay minister, held services in the Purvis home until the school was constructed, then moved to the school. Sunday school was first taught in 1910. A Hard Time ball was held in the school in 1909, the proceeds being $7.45.
An Inspectors report dated April 25, 1910 was signed by H.K. Parker.
One of our well known Canadian writers, Nellie McClung, resided in the district for a short time. Her husband operated a sheep ranch and sold insurance.
Mr. G.W. Mitchell was appointed to the high school board in 1922, followed by A. Blakely in 1923. This was the first time a high school was mentioned in the minutes.
The school burned down in 1928 and for a time school was held in the Peterson house adjoining the site and occupied by the Reed family. Following a board of trustees meeting on March 13, 1929, a new school was built mile east of the original site at a cost of $2800 by Mr. Ernie Simmons.
Lewisville School closed in 1941 and the children attended Strawberry Plains. These included the families Szoke, Reber, Stimson and Setter.
Teachers who taught in the school since the fire were Miss Madeline Hayness, Miss Gladys Dickson, Wilfred Malcolm, Wendell Mitchell, Gerda Rosine, Dorcas Magrath, Larry McLay, Mr. Lindberg, Bernice Quance, Louisa Barber, Joyce Sirois, Mrs. W. Meakins, and Miss Lena Woloshyn. Miss Isabelle Jackson was a supervisor for a short time during the war. Mrs. Harold Whidden Jr. was the last teacher before the school closed in 1949 when the children were bussed in to Irma.
The community bought the building for a community centre but sold it in 1953 to the Wainwright Branch of the Canadian Legion when the Department of National Defence bought the land.
In memory of the school and to honour the early settlers, the Grade 6 room in the Irma School was named Strawberry Plains.
Some of the school board chairmen were: G.A. Purvis, C. McKillop, J. Burrell, J. McKnight, Wm. Matheson, N. Beattie, O. Chase, Mr. Ross, Mr. Dawson, J. Donoghue, A. Blakely, and S. Johnston. The only lady on the school board was Mrs. B.M. Matheson in 1928.
District Service Personnel from the First World War were: Mildon, Bruce and Jack Henderson, and A. Long. From the Second World War: Dave, Albert and Archie Bacon; Dan Matheson; Lester and Arnold Knicely, Bernice Quance; Ivan Johnston and Bill Matthews.
Strawberry Plains School District No. 1709
Contributed by Dorcas Coffin
44-45-46