The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Gladys Coward began teaching in 1951 in Milden, Saskatchewan and then in 1953 she taught at Battleford. Gladys relates how in 1954 she went to teach at Stony Rapids, which is 50 miles South of the North West Territory border. The only means of travel was by one truck, airplane, dog team or boat. The school had to be heated by a stove and the lights were gas lamps. Gladys said, "You don't know what the Northern Lights are really like till you see them dancing on the snow and you could hear them crackle!" There were no street lights at Stony Rapids so a person could get the full benefit of the beauty of the Northern Lights. Every year the reindeer would migrate right between the teacherage and the school. Gladys laughs, "I was warned to stay indoors when I would hear them coming, because there was about 500 of them and they would simply trample anything or anyone in their way." Gladys went on to say, "I had three classes of grade one, those who could speak English, those who could speak a little English and those who spoke no English." The Native people at Stony Rapids belonged to the Chipawin Nation and Gladys has fond memories of these kind people. See 'Teaching' P.# Con't from P.# "They'd take me fly fishing," she laughs, "But the only thing I caught were the trees!" This teaching experience left its imprint on Gladys' memory as she states that of all her teaching experiences, this was the one she really remembers best, "probably because it was so different." Gladys spent two years in La Ronge before she came to Creighton School in 1958. She remembers working with Thurlow Gowan, Flora Hanson, Fran Winters, Marg Mahlum, Flora Russell, Amby Brecht, Mrs. Spencer ad Marg Miller. Some of the students she recalls then were: Harland Garinger, Barry Coutts, Mabel Teneycke, Marg Neufeld, Shirley Wanamaker, Terry and Barry Lofgren, Lance Abrahamson, Eugene Tkach, and Russell Kennedy. In 1960, Gladys moved to Parkdale School which would turn out to be her last move as a teacher. She taught at Parkdale for 26 years, teaching from grades two to six. Most of the time at Parkdale was with grades 4/5 and 6. Some of the staff in the early years that Gladys recalls were: Fred Kirbyson who was the principal, Harry Antoniw, Barry Bayne, Brian King and Mr. Hamilton who was the superintendent. Some of Gladys' greatest memories were the music festivals, especially the spoken poetry. "We were beaten only once whenever we entered!" she smiles. "But we didn't do so great when it came to singing!" she laughs. Gladys loved taking her "kids" on field trips. She made four trips up to Churchill with them. This was a big undertaking. First the class would have to raise about $10,000. They would sell Regal, chocolate bars, have bake sales, garage sales and craft sales. The School Division would give them a small amount and the parents, that could, would help out. These trips took place from about 1980 to 1986. The class would leave on a Monday and come back on Friday. They usually had a train car to themselves because there were about 50 kids and six chaperones. The train trip to Churchill was 23 hours. As their teacher, Gladys would have a time table set up for the kids, with so much time for study, spare, fun and visiting. Generally speaking stated Gladys, "The kids were well behaved. However if they misbehaved 50 cents was taken away from them (money they had brought for treats, souvenirs. etc.) and it was only given back when they arrived back home. There were always visitors from the United States on the train and they were so impressed with the idea of letting the kids take such a trip, that they too would help the kids with their homework! We'd often receive letters from them once they got home! "The kids got to see the polar bears, beluga whales, and one year when we went out to the fort," Gladys recalls. "We had armed guards because the polar bears were at the fort. The kids thought this was the neatest thing!" See 'Just' P.# Con't from P.# The last night of the trip, the kids were allowed to go into the dining car and order whatever they wanted. Of course there was one young fellow, Mark Weekes, who ordered two desserts, a hot chocolate and a pop!" she laughs. "That Mark kept us in stitches the whole trip!" "One other time I took the kids on a camping trip and we visited a farm. It was at Harry Antoniw's hometown and the kids got to see a blacksmith shop, tour grain elevators as well as chase chickens, ride the pigs, some even tried to ride the cows, and the kids had a great time." Then Gladys went on to say, "we camped at Riding Mountain National Park near Dauphin and I had to stay up all night and keep the boys out of the girls' tents!" "We bought supplies at Birch River to have lunch. Mark Weeks got the bright idea to get garlic sausage so the kids all went together and they bought 32 feet of garlic sausage and had a picture taken by the river!" "We were just like one big family", and it is obvious that Gladys enjoyed being "the MOM". Some of the teachers then were: Diane Robertson, Gerry Curl, Carl Galay, Karl Smorohy, Florence McFaddyn, Eleanor Sparling, Velma Foster, Janice Dubranski, Edith McKeen, Angie Willis, Eileen Cassan, Don Fehr and Shirley Akert. A lot of these teachers had taught for many years. Gladys is one of a very few teachers who would actually hold a "sleep over" at her home the last day of school. She would organize it so that the boys would be downstairs and the girls upstairs. Meal preparation and clean up was a shared experience. In the morning the kids would just get enough "bathroom" time to brush their teeth and they'd get their breakfast on the step on the way to school to pick up their report cards. The kids just loved this time spent at Gladys' house, and some didn't want to leave she laughs, "they'd do the dishes two or three times!" Gladys' neighbour, Pat Nelson from down the street, would come and give Gladys a hand. Gladys recalls how she would write notes on the kids' homework such as , "I know you can do better than that 'ol' man or ol' lady" and to this day when she meets one of her kids on the street, they call out "Hi there Lady!" She laughed, "I used to give the kids a "love tap" or a hug, but boy you wouldn't dare do that nowadays!" Gladys proudly states, "Those school kids were my kids and still are!" Even the year that Gladys Coward married Willie Neufeld in 1960, her students were all invited to the wedding. Gladys retired from teaching in 1986. Her other passion is her church. Gladys has taken every position on the church council that she could with the exception of the Chairman of the Board. She has worked in the four levels of the church, home church, presbytery and has gone to conferences (about 10 across Canada) as well as general council that meets every two to three years, where you are chosen to represent your church. "I went to New Brunswick for nine days, helping to pass resolutions and make laws for the church. I miss that now but I still go to Presbytery as a guest!" she stated. Gladys has been a member of the United Church Women for 34 years. Some of the early members she recalls were: Marg MacAree, Leone Govenlock, Hazel Evans, Muriel Burrows, Uldena Saul, Bertha Wright, Ethel Foster, Dot Pettapiece, Emma Tenycke and Emma Knutson. Some of the Ministers she recalls are: Trevor Rutley, Mervin Penfound, Stewart Mills, Ian McKay, Brian Bigelow, Eugene Foster and David Maynard. As a married couple, Gladys and Willie took a trip every year. After they retired they wintered in Arizona for nine winters with their fifth wheel. They went overseas three times. Gladys also belongs to the Rebekahs and the church choir. And they play lots of cards. Gladys is a very talented crafts person. Just ask to see the individual cards she makes. I tried to encourage her to teach classes in card making. Gladys and Willie used to square dance up to six times a day! She has no plans of ever leaving here: "I couldn't leave the water, trees and the people. I came here for two years and have been here over 45 years. Of course I met Willie here and this is home!"
