Mother was a drop-out, part 1

Here’s another one of Mom’s yarns.

School days began at Sterling Elementary School. It was about two blocks from home if I went out the back way. (Be sure to fasten the chicken yard gate.) If I went the long way, I could add a couple of blocks. It was the fall of 1923.

A neighbor across the street was my first teacher. She was Helen Gookins; her nickname was Billy. I had a hard time learning to say “Ms. Gookins” for I had always called her Helen. She taught only first grade. I remember being jealous of Beulah Mae Manning because she memorized “The House That Jack Built.” So I learned it, too. Our room was on the northeast corner of the first floor. Mr. Houts was janitor. He had a peg leg and was minus parts of several fingers. Everyone liked him – at least I thought they did.

Other teachers were Lenora Smith second grade (northwest corner first floor), third grade (second and third grade had one teacher), Anna Mallett (fourth and fifth grades upstairs). That calls for an oops as I omitted my third-grade teacher, Wilma Parkinson, who replaced Lenora. Fifth and sixth-grade teacher was Mary Youngblood. Lois Bugs taught eighth grade. She was also principal and had a rather small room which served as an office. Her pupils met there to recite, but studied in the other two rooms on second floor.

My grades were A’s and B’s. One time in sixth grade I got C in arithmetic. I had probably been goofing off. (Probably??) Mr. Houtz died and Dean Bogan took over janitor duties. Dean was much younger and liked to clown around. In eighth grade girls all took Home Ec. We had to do a sewing project. There were no sewing machines at school so this was all homework. I made a lavender chemise and a pair of pajamas.

There were 13 who graduated with my group. Most of us went on to high school at Veedersburg. Uncle Joe Boord drove a school hack. It was a closed wagon pulled by a team of horses. He had a small stove in the middle and on cold days, he would build a corncob fire. We sat on benches along each side of the hack. Behind the benches were some windows. The hack was painted red.

I was supposed to walk to school and usually I did. In rainy or bad weather, if I went out the front way, Uncle Joe always let me ride. Also he always let me ride the day he had his birthday cake and when he gave me Christmas treats. Uncle Joe probably never drove the car. Other children rode in yellow buses, but Uncle Joe was never forced to give up his “red school hack” as long as he was able to drive.

John Boord drove a leaky yellow bus when I was going to high school. Ruth and I rode in it. Owen walked most of the time. They were both seniors when I was a freshman.

Be sure to read The Reporter next Thursday for Part 2 of this series.