Elizabeth Ziegler
Elizabeth Ziegler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 15, 1854 |
| Died | November 3, 1942 (aged 88) |
| Resting place | Mount Hope Cemetery |
| Occupation | Teacher |
Elizabeth Ziegler (September 15, 1854 – November 3, 1942) was a Canadian educator. She is the namesake of Elizabeth Ziegler Public School in Waterloo, Ontario, and is a member of the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame.[1]
Early life and education[edit]
Ziegler was born September 15, 1854, in Berlin, Canada West (now Kitchener) to Enoch and Hannah (née Hallman) Ziegler.[2] Her grandfather, Dillman Ziegler, was born in 1781 in Skippack Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and was an early settler in Waterloo Township.[3] His own great-great-grandfather, Michael Ziegler, emigrated to Pennsylvania Colony around 1707 from Switzerland and was one of the earliest settlers in Montgomery County.[4]
Educated at local schools, Elizabeth went on to study at the Toronto Normal School, graduating at 16 years of age. She was the youngest student to receive a teaching certificate from the school, which was signed by Egerton Ryerson, Ontario's first Minister of Education.[5][6]: 35
Teaching career[edit]
After graduation she taught for a year in Breslau, followed by two years teaching in Bloomingdale.[6]: 35 Ziegler returned to Waterloo County in 1875, after accepting a teaching position at Central School during a period when women made up less than half of the teaching staff in the area and were unable to marry if they wished to continue on as teachers.[6]: 35 She taught a range of subjects at the school including reading, spelling, arithmetic, geography and drawing.[7]: 72 Ziegler was later appointed as the principal of Alexandra School, Waterloo's second elementary school, making her the first woman principal appointed in Waterloo County.[6]: 35, 36 [8] She retired from teaching in 1930.[5][9] To mark her lengthy career the Canadian National Railway gifted her a return ticket to the Pacific Coast.[6]: 36
When construction began on Waterloo's third elementary school, local teachers requested that it be named in Ziegler's honour.[10][6]: 36 She initially resisted the recognition but was eventually persuaded by members of the Waterloo Public School Board.[6]: 36 The school opening on September 2, 1931, was attended by Ontario Premier George Stewart Henry who commented that: "This splendid building is a monument to the purpose, integrity and inspiration of a woman who has helped fashion the lives of the citizens of this community and has helped them to make the best use of their lives."[5] Her teaching certificate signed by Ryerson hangs at the school along with her portrait.[5][11] In addition to having a school named after her, Ziegler is a member of the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame.[5]
Later life[edit]
Ziegler spent her later years living with family in Kitchener and London.[12] In 1941 Ziegler moved to Simcoe to live with a sister, where she died a year later.[6]: 37 Following her death on November 3, 1942, she was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener. Her headstone reads: "She taught little children for sixty years."[13]
References[edit]
- ^ "About (Elizabeth Ziegler Public School)". elz.wrdsb.ca. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ "Elizabeth Ziegler". generations.regionofwaterloo.ca. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ "Dillman Ziegler". Waterloo Region Generations. Region of Waterloo. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ "Michael Ziegler". Waterloo Region Generations. Region of Waterloo. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "List of Hall of Fame Inductees". www.waterlooregionmuseum.ca. 8 December 2020. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gerry, Engel; Margaret, Spencer (2000). "Elizabeth Ziegler (1854-1942) Educator and Emily Seibert (1907-1992) Educator". Women of Waterloo County. Toronto: Natural Heritage/Natural History. ISBN 9781896219721.
- ^ Johnston, Mary (1975). Trail of the Slate : a History of Early Education in Waterloo County, 1802-1912. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ "Elizabeth Ziegler Public School, 1931". Foundations. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ "Miss E. Ziegler's Remarkable Record as School Teacher". Waterloo Chronicle. 18 December 1930. p. 5. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ "Eliz. Ziegler is name of new school". Waterloo Chronicle. 11 December 1930. p. 4. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ "Elizabeth Ziegler Public School". www.historicplaces.ca. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ "Served 55 years, oldest teacher dies". Waterloo Chronicle. 6 November 1942. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ "Elizabeth Ziegler (1854-1942)". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 1 April 2021.