The old Lavesta schoolhouse and hall, now used only occasionally, came to life recently as former classmates and neighbors got together to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the building.
Heather Sakofsky, who helped organized the event held July 13 to 15 along with Debra McMehan (nee Pregoda), said about 160 people attended the celebration.
“It was awesome,” she said. “A good crowd showed up and everyone had a good time. We even had Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Menge, a family from Kazakhstan in attendance. They were visiting his mother, Helen Menge, who lives in Red Deer.”
Lavesta Hall was used as a school from 1912 to 1959, housing students from grades 1 to 8.
Eileen Picketts (nee Sakofsky) from Red Deer was one of those students. She recalled her school years as a happy time where people came together to help each other out.
“Everybody did things together and we had very good teachers.”
Picketts said her brother, Charles, did the janitorial work at the school and sometimes she helped him out, making sure the floors were clean and the fire going. She recalls heating a big canner full of water on the stove to serve cocoa.
The Sakofsky children, Charles, Albert and Eileen, had a two-mile walk to school, although sometimes they would travel in a sleigh pulled by a single horse. Picketts recalled the horse taking off one time and taking them on a wild ride through the ditches.
Because George Staroszik, now from Calgary, lived on the south side of the road, he attended the Fuller School, although the Sakofskys and Fullers were neighbors.
The third oldest of seven children, Staroszik recalled how his parents. Gust and Waive would take in people new to the neighborhood until they got settled.
“Word got round, Gust will look after you,” he said. They would take them in, feed them, the house was never locked.”
Staroszik and Picketts agreed that things were different when they were growing up. There was great community spirit, everyone was hospitable, everyone helped everyone else,.
Marie Liner (nee Krossa) recalled being a student in the classroom.
“I think we learned a lot by listening to the teacher teach the next grade. I loved that school. I always wanted to be a teacher and I still enjoy learning. I am curious to this day.”
Liner, who walked two and a half miles to school every day, doesn’t remember the long walks. “It was normal. We didn’t know any different.”
According to history data posted on the wall of the Lavesta Hall, Gus Staroszik, William Pregoda and John Sakofsky were the first settlers in the Lavesta area. The men lived in a cave dug out of a hill on Staroszik’s farm. When Minnie Sakofsky arrived with Yetta, John, Paul and Emma there was no place to live but the cave as all the logs to be used for a house were burned.
The men helped William Pregoda finish his home and the Pregoda and Staroszik families moved in.
In 1907 the Sakofskys moved into their own log home. Minnie Sakofsky died in childbirth at 36 years of age after giving birth to her sixth child, Louise.
In 1908, when his house was finished, Staroszik sent for his wife, Marie, and children, Emma, Gus Jr., May and Arthur who were in Germany. However, that home burned down and the family moved in with the Sakofskys until a new house was built.
In 1914 Gus Sr. went back to Germany and at age 16 Gus Jr. took over the farm.
John Sakofsky died in 1926 and William Pregoda died in 1978.