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Days of Rural Schools

A portrait of a typical country school of a bygone era is this photo of Iowa Township No. 2 which was located northwest of Aspinwall.

Country schools are no longer in existence in this area, so it is an appropriate time to reminisce as to what schools and teaching were like back in the early 1900s. In those days, the teacher was usually a young woman, barely older than some of the students she taught; she had to teach all grades, kindergarten through eighth; had to be her own janitor; she had to carry out the ashes from the stoves or, in later years, from the furnaces; and she had to build the fire for the morning heat. The school teacher or students had to bring in the drinking water and washing water, either from a well on the school grounds or from the nearest neighbor, as there was no indoor plumbing; there was no electricity, either, until the late 1930s.

The teacher had to sweep and scrub the floors often, especially the halls where all the muddy boots were kept. Children arrived in horse-drawn buggies, wagons, and even sleds in extremely cold weather or in drifting snow; in spring, they came through muddy roads, as graveled roads were very scarce then. For the most part, though, both the teacher and the students walked, some a mile or more, and they had to prepare for the journey by dressing warmly.

Most school yards had caves to go into for shelter in the case of storms, especially those dreaded tornados. The school yard also had an outhouse, which always seemed to be too close to the school in the warm spring and fall, but much too far away in the winter time. In the late 1930s, some of the rural schools received indoor chemical restrooms, but others never did receive indoor plumbing.

Usually every fall, there was a two weeks' corn picking vacation so the children could help their parents with the corn harvest.

When electricity became available at the schools, children had access to hot lunches, instead of always the cold meals they brought from home in their dinner pails.

School programs and box socials were always enjoyed by the parents and neighbors, and a family picnic was always held at the end of the school year in May.

In the fall of 1959, country school districts were reorganized and children were bused into town schools; this ended an era of unforgettable memories of country school days. Rural school sites were usually sold back to adjoining land owners, and most of the school houses were either torn down or moved elsewhere, and the ground was generally turned into farmland

In the photo above are pictured the teacher of Iowa Township No. 2, Lucille Lamp, and her students. In back row, left to right, are Merlin Hass, Gene Kruse, Charles Kruse and Lois Nissen; second row, Arlo Barten, Allan Lamaack and Charlene Barten; and front row, Betty Dammann and Linda Meggers.

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Around 1912, Nora Collins taught in this Iowa Township No. 2 school. Her students included, from left, front row: Edward Rix, Herman Koester, Louie Koester, Johnny Schwiesow and Andrew Boyens; second row: Elenora Rix, Lizzie, Boyens, Elsie Kuhl, Florence Georgius, Caroline Stammer, Milda Schwiesow and Goldie Meeves; back row: Elsie Boyens, Nora Collins, teacher; Elsie Pruter and Ida Koester.

ODDS AND ENDS
We attended Iowa Township No. 2 School, with Melvina Kuhl as teacher. Our school was a standardized school, meaning we'd receive state aid after meeting certain requirements. One requirement was to give three community programs, usually at night, during the school year. Parents and members of the community would come to watch the students perform, and we'd have pie and coffee after the entertainment, with the pies furnished by the students' mothers.
One year, due to inclement weather, the program was postponed. When good weather finally came, school was dismissed at 2:30 and we were all sent 'home to tell our mothers to bake pies. That evening, all 26 pies were raisin pies.
Lucille (Lamp) Boell

There were memorable school days for all in this happy group at Hayes No. 7 in 1958. From top row, left to right: Bob Brus, Helen Adamsen (teacher), Judy Schroeder, Georgia Brus, Diane Rowedder, Marcia Friedricksen; second row: Donna Ramsey, Joan Ranniger, Carol Ranniger, Janet Ranniger, Dennis Ohde and Robert Frahm; front row: Joyce Ranniger, Patsy Rowedder, Bill Ranniger, Mark Ohde and Charles Mohns.

NOTE: This picture was taken 33 years later than the 1925 photo, shown on the following page. These are the children of some of those in the 1925 picture. Many of the children's grandparents also went to Hayes No. 7.

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Thirty-one pupils were attending this Hayes Township rural school in 1925. Pictured left to right in the front row are: Louise Ossenkop, Irene Jahn, Dorothy Rowedder, Dolores Kruse, Eunice Ranniger, Phyllis Schroeder, Bernice Schroeder, Berdine Rowedder, Willis Brus, Wilmer Ranniger, Earl Ossenkop, Merlin Schroeder, Wesley Ohde, Gilbert Rowedder, Vinton Paulsen, Willie Mahnke, Lester Ohde. Back row, left to right: Irene Ranniger, Elsie Rowedder, Bernice Paulsen, Viola Schelldorf (the teacher), Florence Kruse, Gertie Schroeder, Ivan Frahm, Vernon Ossenkop, Melvin Ohde, Herbert Mahnke, Wilbur Schroeder, Raymond Mahnke and Vertus Brus. One pupil, Vernon Schroeder was absent. Three generations of several of these families have attended through the years. Hayes No. 7 is located four miles north and one mile east of Aspinwall.

Shirley Ehrichs was the teacher in Hayes No. 7 in 1945. Her pupils were front row, left to right: Kenneth Frahm, Cleo Weller, Arlene Mohns, Mardella Friedrichsen and Shannon Mahnke; back row: Wayne Jahn, Joan Rowedder, Shirley Ehrichs, Lyle Meyer and Fern Weller.

In 1944, Helen Petersen was the teacher in Hayes No. 7 country school. The children attending then were, front row, left to right: Kenneth Frahm and Cleo Weller; second row: Mardella Friedrichsen, Arlene Mohns and Shannon Mahnke; third row: Wayne Jahn, Fern Weller and Joan Rowedder; and fourth row: Lowell Weller, Loren Weller and the teacher.