Melbrae School District No. 2777
The Melbrae School was built in 1912 on the NE ¼ 21-44-10 W4. At this
time it was called Gooseberry Plains, but the Harding family were
instrumental in changing it to Melbrae, after a district they came from in
Scotland. The first teacher was Miss Schnare who taught for two years.
The school was closed in the winter if the weather was severe and kept
open in the summer.
Members of the first school board were Mr. Henry Harding and Mr. Donald Mallis with Mr. John Drake as secretary. Later Mr. Fred Bumpus and Alex Harding were trustees. In 1918 Mr. John Daugherty was secretary. The Last members fo the school board were Ludwig Hollinger and Norman Fluevog.
The value of the school library in 1918 was $75. That year, $18.32 worth of books were added.
Some of the first students to attend were: Dicka and Norman Fluevog, Harold Arland and Lenora Pietz. In 1918, 18 pupils were in the register and Miss Morrow was the teacher. The inspector was Walter Scott.
Teachers of Melbrae included: Miss Schnare, Miss Hazel Freeman, Miss Chapman, Miss Thompson, Miss Morrow, Miss Lenora Pietz, Miss White, Mr. E. Simpson, Mr. McCracken, Miss Alice Clark, Miss Lora Matthews, Mr. C. Enright, Miss Jane Wilson, Miss Sylvia Lynn, Mr. Harold Linson, Miss Asta Lindberg, and Mrs. Alice Darkes.
In the war years, teachers were hard to get, so supervisors were put in the schools. They supervised correspondence lessons. Irma Theroux, Anita Lindberg, and Illes Dubasz supervised until school was closed and the students bussed to Lougheed.
Melbrae, as were most schools, was the centre of entertainment for the community. Dances, card parties, chicken suppers, concerts and ball games were held at the school. In may of 1972, Melbrae School was struck by lightening and burned to the ground.
Melbrae School District No. 2777
from “Down Memory Lane”
58