Bertha Skifton Tenhoff Elementary Education Memorial Scholarship

The Bertha Skifton Tenhoff Elementary Education Scholarship is for students majoring in elementary education/early childhood education. Students must demonstrate ability in working with children.

Criteria

1. Each recipient must be an undergraduate student enrolled full-time at Winona State University.
2. Each recipient must be classified as a junior or senior student and be in good standing at Winona State University with a minimum grade point average (G.P.A.) of 3.0 (4.0 = A).
3. Each recipient must be a declared major in Winona State University’s elementary education and/or early childhood education program.
4. Each recipient must have been admitted to the Teacher Education Program.
5. Each recipient must have demonstrated ability in working with children.

Biography/Motivation

Bertha Skifton Tenhoff devoted her lifetime to education, serving in exemplary fashion schools and students in California and Minnesota for more than four decades after receiving her degree from the then Winona State Teachers College in the winter of 1924.

Following her graduation, Bertha Skifton taught school in California, and Rushford, Montevideo and St. Charles before becoming a supervising teacher at the Phelps Laboratory School on the Winona State campus, where she was a close friend and teaching colleague of Miss Amanda Aarestad, who created this scholarship in her memory.

She later taught in the Owatonna Public School system for many years, retiring from that position in 1966, after which her teaching skills were utilized by St. Mary’s school, a Catholic grade school in Owatonna.

Bertha Skifton was born Jan 1, 1901, in Houston, the daughter of Lars and Inger (Rosaaen) Skifton. After beginning her teaching career, she married Edward Tenhoff. He passed away in 1939. Mrs. Tenhoff was a member of PEO for more than 50 years and a member of Delta Kappa Gamma.

Mrs. Tenhoff passed away at her home in Owatonna on Jan. 19, 1993, at the age of 92. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by four brothers and an infant sister. One brother, Arnold Skifton, Houston, two nieces and a nephew survive.