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... IN OUR EDUCATION<br />
81<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Nic Neufeld, Marjorie and Loretta, 1946.<br />
ANOTHER OUTSTANDING TEACHER<br />
by Arthur O. Toews<br />
Mr. Nic G. Neufeld, 1945.<br />
After leaving Kane our family moved to various country<br />
schools where Dad taught for a total <strong>of</strong> almost fifty<br />
years. Loretta and I were privileged having Dad as our<br />
teacher grades one to nine.<br />
Loretta was a teacher and later married Alan Janzen.<br />
After her children were in school she was a librarian at the<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Manitoba and died in June <strong>of</strong> 1999, a year<br />
after her retirement.<br />
Stan, born after leaving Kane, also had Dad as his<br />
teacher. Stan also became a teacher. He retired from teaching<br />
and worked several years in a print shop in Winnipeg.<br />
I worked in a bank for several years in Winkler, Manitoba.<br />
I married Leonard Neufeld, a teacher. In 1975, we<br />
moved to British Columbia to work with Campus Crusade<br />
for Christ, which we are still involved in.<br />
Dad died in November <strong>of</strong> 1988 and Mother (Sarah) in<br />
July <strong>of</strong> 1992.<br />
Nic Neufeld had a relatively short tenure (1944-1946),<br />
but it was evident from the start that he was a truly dedicated<br />
teacher and a fine man.<br />
It was apparent to us that there was much more to<br />
teaching than getting students through a curriculum.<br />
He put a heavy emphasis on choir work, spending<br />
many hours rehearsing with us, and at the same time showing<br />
admirable patience with us guys who were just mouthing<br />
it.<br />
He volunteered his services and taught a number <strong>of</strong><br />
us to play the violin. There would be group sessions in<br />
the evening, with no remuneration expected.<br />
Three <strong>of</strong> us played a prank on Mr. Neufeld that I certainly<br />
am not proud <strong>of</strong> today. Manuel and Alvin<br />
Schellenberg and I would <strong>of</strong>ten arrive at school early in<br />
the morning before anyone else had arrived. His violin<br />
and bow on the piano caught our attention on this one<br />
morning. Manuel and Alvin were the Brylcreem kids <strong>of</strong><br />
the school. They proceeded to run his bow through their<br />
hair. Nic would always accompany the singing <strong>of</strong> “Oh<br />
Canada” and “God Save the King” with his violin. That<br />
morning the violin emitted no sound when he ran it over<br />
the strings.<br />
Unfortunately, we did not appreciate Nic Neufeld the<br />
way that we should have.