Iverna Lillian Stradeski, nee Lindsay, was one of the young pioneer women who ventured out to teach school at a one-room country school house.

Iverna Lillian Stradeski, nee Lindsay, was born on January 9, 1917 in Seattle. Her parents were Samuel Mark Lindsay, and mother was Annie (Lawrance). Iverna had one sister, Myrtle, who was born on March 25, 1909 in Portland Oregon. In 1917, when Iverna was only a few months old, her family came across to Vancouver from Seattle.

Iverna grew up in Vancouver and attended the Tecumseh School on 41st and Victoria Drive in Vancouver for Grade One to Eight, then went on to attend the John Oliver High School for Grades Eight to Thirteen. Grade Thirteen was the first year of College. She graduated from here in 1935.

With one year of Normal School she worked one year as a substitute teacher for $3.50 a day in Vancouver. After two years of summer school in Victoria and a good report from the school inspector, Iverna received her Teacher's Certificate.

At the age of 20, to begin her career as a teacher, Iverna left Vancouver to go and teach school at a one room country school house ten miles west of Quesnel at Milburn Lake School. When she left Vancouver she travelled by bus to Quesnel, BC, then the rest of the way (10 miles) by horse and wagon. This was a first for a city girl.

The one room school house, Milburn Lake School, was equipped with only the very bare necessities - desks for the children, wood heater and for their water from a well in the back, the teacher and children would have to pack the wood for the heater and water from the well, and walk out to the back for the outhouse. That was life back then.Iverna's accommodation was a little cabin about ¼ mile from the school, which she paid $15.00 a month rent from her $75.00 a month wages.

It had a wood cook stove and heater and she would have to pack her water from a near by stream, summer and winter. Growing up in Vancouver, she soon learned the experience of life in a pioneer setting. Certainly, with no modern facilities, she felt very isolated because there were not close neighbours nearby.

Growing up in Vancouver, and being a city girl, she had not seen much wild life roaming freely. One day when she looked out the school window she saw eight moose walking by the school, as moose at this time were quite plentiful, and once while walking to school she came face to face with a bear, but lucky for her, there was a fence between them!

For a bit of change of scenery, Iverna and her friend Stella, a teacher at the next school, would walk the 10 miles to Quesnel for a day's outing.

From this little one room schoolhouse Iverna went on to teach at Black Pine School (North Thompson area). While teaching here, at the place where she had board and room, being during the depression and everyone was very poor she said every day for supper they ate mashed potatoes, pickled beets and moose meat.

Iverna went on to teach at Mount Lehman and Upper Sumas. And while she was at Black Pine School the school inspector said because she specialized in primary grades she should move on. So finally, Iverna after several years, returned to Vancouver and the city life. She went to teach at the Dawson Annex and Sir Mathew Baybie School. While teaching in Vancouver, Iverna was one of the first teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) Program. This was offered to any Grade One teacher.

Iverna was sent to Toronto for a summer course to look at how they managed the ESL Program.

Before coming to Terrace, Iverna lived in Penticton from 1960 to 1972, also working as an ESL teacher. Then in 1972 Iverna and her children came to Terrace to live.

Iverna got a position at Cassie Hall Elementary School, and also taught at Kiti K'Shan Primary School, teaching ESL. She retired from teaching in 1982.

Iverna also did some tutoring for children and taught a handwriting class until 1992. She had taken her handwriting skills from H.B. McLean, handwriting expert, for BC. She received her Handwriting Certificate directly from him.

Over the years as a teacher, Iverna made some very close friends with several of her students who still keep in touch. She has received letters of thank you for being a teacher who cared, showing discipline and giving the extra attention to prepare them for their own careers or helping them to go out into the work force.

Iverna said her life as a teacher has been very special and a good time in her life. It was very rewarding and she was glad to have chosen that career.

Iverna's family were among some of the early pioneers who came into the Skeena Valley area in the early years. Her father, Samuel Mark Lindsay, was born in Toronto in 1870. He was a roadmaster for the Grand Trunk Pacific. He, along with his wife and daughter Myrtle, were in the area around 1916. They had spent some time in Smithers, Terrace and Prince Rupert, while Mr. Lindsay was employed by the Grand Trunk Pacific.

Written by Yvonne Moen
November 2001

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