Mother was a drop-out, part 3

To enter college, one signed a paper telling age, high school attended, and parents’ names. That was it. If you could pay tuition, you could enter. PK’s got a reduction in tuition. Since I qualified as a preacher’s kid, I got the reduced rate. Making at least a B average also helped financially. I managed to do that.

My parents did not want me to take a job. They thought I should keep up my grades and borrow what I had to. I think they thought I was going to die. Cousin Vera was a schoolteacher but died in her early 20s. Brother Russel was a teacher and minister. He also died in his early 20s. Ruth had not been able to go to high school from age 16 to 20. I could understand why my parents were concerned but felt I should have had a job anyway. I missed only one day of school in two years.

Two years passed quickly. Now where to find a job. Every place I heard of a job opening, I heard the same story. They would be glad to hire me, but a local person had already applied.

So I dropped out. With a debt hanging over my head, I had to find some kind – any kind – of employment. I was lucky enough to get a job with R. R. Donnelley. This was a printing company located in Crawfordsville. I worked there for a little over two years (1937-39).

I started in the bindery for 33¢ an hour. After a while I was promoted to time clerk. Later the office boss called me upstairs for an interview. He gave me a test and a few days later I began office work as a cost clerk. Then through my dad’s influence and effort, I was hired to teach grades three and four at Rob Roy School south of Attica. That was in the fall of 1939.

My classmate was teaching all eight grades, but I had to go back to college in order to teach third grade. I taught at Rob Roy from fall 1939 to Spring 1941. At that time I moved to Adams County (sic) and I dropped out of school.

Time marched on and brought many changes. Sometime around 1950, a cousin wanted Dad to go to Huntington College with him. That worked until the cousin finished his four-year course. Having begun, Dad wanted to finish, but it was a long drive after working all day. Dad needed someone to ride along, and he elected me. Grandma encouraged that and offered to baby-sit. Dad graduated in 1953. We took the children to his Commencement. I wonder if either one remembers. It was an outdoor service. The speaker got tied-up in a traffic jam and arrived late.

Raymond fell asleep on my lap, but he awakened in time for the processional and the rest of the service. We were all proud of Dad in his cap and gown. Mother was one semester and one hour behind Dad, so she did it again. She dropped out. “No more school for me,” she said.

In 1955, Vernon Zurcher decided to quit farming and go back to college. He wanted a carload to ride with him to Huntington to help pay transportation expenses. He asked me to go. I said no. I said no several times. I did not want to go. I asked Dad if I should go. Dad and I discussed the situation. He had lots of good reasons why I should go. I went. In January 1956 I finished a four-year course, got my life license and BS degree in June and I DROPPED OUT again.

Be sure to read The Reporter next Thursday for the fourth and final part of this series.