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Alberta Mennonite High School – Coaldale, AB

Proper Title

Alberta Mennonite High School fonds

Dates of Creation

1946–1966, 1982, 1996

Physical Description

35 cm of textual records and 25 photographs

Administrative History

Education has been an important aspect of Mennonite life. In the mid 1920s, a large settlement of Mennonites, the majority of them Mennonite Brethren, began in the Coaldale area. They were concerned about the potential adverse effect of public education on their children and therefore the desire quickly grew to establish their own high school. The Mennonite Brethren church in Coaldale, Alberta established the Mennonite Educational Society in the spring of 1946 with the leadership of B.B. Janz. In the fall, the Alberta Mennonite High School opened with H. Thiessen as principal. Instruction was given to forty-two students in grades nine to twelve. In 1951, after grades seven and eight were added, enrolment rose to ninety. Although investments in buildings and salaries were low, immense financial strain was placed on the society’s 100 members. Along with a chronic financial burden, the constituency’s loyalty was split with the Coaldale Bible School. Eventually both institutions closed. The Alberta Mennonite High School closed its doors in 1964.

Scope and Content

The records found in this collection consists of school yearbooks, graduation photographs, school reunion material, and some financial records and minutes.

Custodial History

The material in this collection has come to the archives at various times. Most of the yearbooks were added to the collection as they turned up in various used book collections. When the financial records and minutes were acquired by the Center is unclear, but before 1990. The 1947–1948 yearbook, photographs, and some correspondence came to the archives from Anne Kornelsen of Coaldale, Alberta on August 5, 1982, and early in January 2001. Some records came to the archives via Abe Dueck on October 8, 1996. The material was sent to him as an alumnist of the institution which he then donated to the Center. The material pertains to the institution’s reunion held in Calgary August 30–September 1, 1996.

Notes

  • Some material in German.
  • Volume 197, 657.
  • Described by Conrad Stoesz October 7, 1999; updated January 18, 2001.
  • Finding aid consists of a file list.
  • No restrictions.
  • Accession nos. Unknown, 1982–77, 1994–05, 1996–060, 2001–002.
  • Photograph Collection NP44 and NP147.

File List

Volume 197
6–26 BA251. Alberta Mennonite High School minutes and correspondence. -- 1943–1949.
6–27 BA251. Alberta Mennonite High School Minutes and correspondence. -- 1950–1958.

Volume 657
1. Minutes. -- 1961–1964.
2. Alberta Mennonite High School Bulletin. -- 1959–1964.
3. Registration of “The Mennonite Educational Society of Alberta”. -- 1947, 1951.
4. Correspondence and minutes including those of the building committee. -- 1946, 1947, 1949–1956, 1958–1966.
5. Minutes. -- 1961–1964.
6. Financial ledger. Note: includes two loose pages of a letter or report. -- 1960–1961.
7. Financial ledger. -- 1955–1965.
8. Financial ledger, Namen Register der Mitglieder des Mennonitenschen Hochschule. -- 1946–1955.
9. The Pioneer, Alberta Mennonite High School Year Book, 1947–48, Coaldale Alberta, 1948. Photocopied [ca. 1982]. -- 1948.
10. The Pioneer Year Book, 1948–1949, Coaldale, Alberta. -- 1949.
11. Quo Vadia, AMHS 1950–51, Coaldale, Alberta. -- 1951.
12. Quo Vadis, AMHS, Coaldale, Alberta. -- 1953.
13. Quo Vadis, AMHS, Coaldale, Alberta. -- 1953.
14. Quo Vadis, AMHS, Coaldale, Alberta. -- 1954.
15. Quo Vadis, AMHS, Coaldale, Alberta. -- 1955.
16. Quo Vadis, Coaldale, Alberta: Students’ Union of the Alberta Mennonite High School. -- 1956.
17. 1957 Quo Vadis, Kansas City. -- 1957.
18. 1957 Quo Vadis, Kansas City. -- 1957.
19. AMHS Quo Vadis 1958, Kansas City: Inter-Collegiate Press. -- 1958.
20. AMHS Quo Vadis 1958, Kansas City: Inter-Collegiate Press. -- 1958.
21. 1959 Quo Vadis, Kansas City: Inter-Collegiate Press. -- 1959.
22. 1959 Quo Vadis, Kansas City: Inter-Collegiate Press. -- 1959.
23. Quo Vadis, Coaldale, Alberta: Published by the Students’ Union of the Alberta Mennonite High School. -- 1960.
24. Quo Vadis, Coaldale, Alberta: Published by the Students’ Union of the Alberta Mennonite High School. -- 1960.
25. 1961 Quo Vadis, Winnipeg, Manitoba: Inter-Collegiate Press. -- 1961.
26. 1961 Quo Vadis, Winnipeg, Manitoba: Inter-Collegiate Press. -- 1961.
27. Quo Vadis 1962, Winnipeg, Manitoba: Inter-Collegiate Press. -- 1962.
28. 1963 Quo Vadis, Coaldale, Alberta. -- 1963.
29. 1964 AMHS Quo Vadis, Coaldale, Alberta. -- 1964.
30. News letter, “Pilgrim”. -- 1957.
31. Janzen, Linda, “A History of the Alberta Mennonite High School, Coaldale, Alberta 1946–1964”, Student paper at Canadian Mennonite Bible College. -- 1982.
32. Address book, “What Ever Happened To?” -- 1996.
33. Alberta Mennonite High School Reunion. -- 1996.
34. Protokoll und Berichte. -- 1948–1958.
35. Building committee minutes. -- 1960–1961.
36. Summary of minutes from the Coaldale MB Church. -- 1945–1961.
37. Minutes, reports, and correspondence. -- 1946–1963.
38. Government correspondence and reports. -- 1953, 1966.
39. “Mennonite High School to Close its Doors”, in The Lethbridge
Herald, Saturday 13, 1964, p. 6. -- 1964.

Photographs

NP44–11 Mennonite Brethren Herald photograph collection.

NP44–11:33 Alberta Mennonite High School. [195?]. – 1 print: b&w; 13 x 8 cm. This picture shows the Alberta Mennonite High School buildings.

NP44–11:33 Alberta Mennonite High School. [195?]. – 1 print: b&w; 13 x 8 cm. This picture shows the Alberta Mennonite High School buildings.

NP44–11:34 Alberta Mennonite High School. 1948–49. – 1 print: b&w; 13 x 9 cm. This picture shows a large group of Coaldale Mennonite High School students.

NP44–11:35 Alberta Mennonite High School. 1957. – 1 print: b&w; 13 x 9 cm. This picture shows the graduating class of 1957 with their teachers at the Coaldale Mennonite Brethren High School. Back (l–r): John Willms, Rudy Dyck, Peter Janzen, Victor Pauls, Ron Neuman, Dave Penner, Alvin Sawatzky, Eddie Boldt, John Regehr, Werner Dick, Walter Dueck, Pete Nikkel. Middle: J. Heidebrecht (teacher), J. Isaac (teacher), Peter J. Dick (teacher at Eden Christian College), Anne Janzen (teacher). Front: Lilly Schmidt, Anne Nikkel, Elizabeth Penner, Lydia Pauls, Erna Martens.

NP44–11:36 Alberta Mennonite High School. 1948–49. – 1 print: b&w; 13 x 9 cm. This picture shows the teachers of the Coaldale Mennonite High School in 1948–1949. Heinrich Thiessen is at right and Heinrich Dick is at left.

NP44–11:37 Alberta Mennonite High School. 1959. – 1 print: b&w; 13 x 9 cm. This picture depicts Alberta Mennonite High School students showing their Bibles during a campaign at the Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP44–11:38 Alberta Mennonite High School. [1964]. – 1 print: b&w; 18 x 13 cm. This is a formal group photograph of a graduating class at the Alberta Mennonite High School. Front (l–r): Jeanette Vander Kooy, Hilda Dyck, Erica Jantzen (teacher), Anne Kornelsen (teacher), Margaret Matthies, Doreen Neufeldt, Mary Thiessen. Middle (l–r): Elenore Janz, Esther Quiring, George Wiens (teacher), John Braun (principal), Victor Thiessen (teacher), Joanne Baerg, Martha Quapp, Caroline Willms. Back (l–r): Ken Wall, Harold Siebert, Alvin Nikkel, Fred Mensch, Ron Nikkel, David Goertz, Eric ?.

NP147–01 Alberta Mennonite High School collection.

NP147–01:1 Grade 7. 1952. – 17 x 12 cm [b&w]. This photo is of 10 grade 7 students and one teacher of the Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:2 Grade 8. 1952. – 17 x 12 cm [b&w]. This photo is of 13 grade 8 students and one teacher of the Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:3 Class of 1952. 1952. – 24 x 19 cm [b&w]. This photo of the graduating class of 1952 from Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:4 Graduating Class of 1953. 1953. – 24 x 19 cm [b&w]. This photo of the graduating class of 1953 from Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:5 Graduating Class of 1954. 1954. – 24 x 19 cm [b&w]. This photo of the graduating class of 1954 from Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:6 Graduating Class of 1955. 1955. – 24 x 19 cm [b&w]. This photo of the graduating class of 1955 from Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:7 Concert AMHS Choir. 1955. – 25 x 21 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the Alberta Mennonite High School Concert Choir of 1955.

NP147–01:8 Graduating Class of 1956. 1956. – 24 x 19 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the 1956 graduating class of the Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:9 Glee Club of 1956. 1956. – 25 x 18 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the Alberta Mennonite High School Glee Club of 1956.

NP147–01:10 The Graduating Class of 1957. 1957. – 23 x 15 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the graduating class of 1957 from the Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:11 The Graduating Class of 1958. 1958. – 24 x 19 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the graduating class of 1958 from the Alberta Mennonite High School. Note: there is a second copy.

NP147–01:12 The Graduating Class of 1959. 1959. – 24 x 19 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the graduating class of 1959 from the Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:13 The Graduating Class of 1960. 1960. – 24 x 19 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the graduating class of 1960 from the Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:14 The Graduating Class of 1961. 1961. – 24 x 19 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the graduating class of 1961 from the Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:15 The Graduating Class of 1962. 1962. – 24 x 19 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the graduating class of 1962 from the Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:16 The Graduating Class of 1963. 1963. – 24 x 19 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the graduating class of 1963 from the Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:17 The Graduating Class of 1964. 1964. – 24 x 19 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the graduating class of 1964 from the Alberta Mennonite High School.

NP147–01:18 Alberta Mennonite High School Choir. [between 1952–1956]. – 25 x 21 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the Alberta Mennonite High School choir.

NP147–01:19 Alberta Mennonite High School Choir. [ca. 1956]. – 25 x 20 cm [b&w]. This photo is of the Alberta Mennonite High School choir in a church with a pipe organ.

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