Wild Rose School: Memories of Greta (Epp) Snell
Collection: Wild Rose School
Title
Wild Rose School: Memories of Greta (Epp) Snell
Subject
Wild Rose School
Description
Brief memories of student at Wild Rose School who graduated in the last class, in 1957.
Creator
Snell, Greta Epp
Source
Personal collection of Leroy Koehn
Publisher
Halstead Public Library, Halstead, Kansas
Date
ca. 1948 - 1957
Contributor
Koehn, Leroy
Rights
Format
text/plain
Language
English
Type
Narratives
Citation
Snell, Greta Epp, “Wild Rose School: Memories of Greta (Epp) Snell,” Halstead Digital History Collections, accessed April 29, 2024, https://halstead.digitalsckls.info/item/80.
Text
Wild Rose School: Memories of Greta (Epp) Snell 10-20-2011
Games:
Fox and Geese, hide and seek Ice skating on Koehn’s pond
Baseball: big boys chose to play and would be batters, catchers, pitchers and put the little kids out in the field to chase the balls. Lots of fun for us little kids! Ha!
Track meets every spring with Page and Maple Grove Schools which gave us a Chance to play with other kids. We would practice at our own schools before the meets. Three legged races, sack races, foot races, relays, broad Jump, high jump.
Crafts/Making gifts for Christmas
Woodworking: what-not-shelves; a frame for a room-divider screen; a dressing table.
Art projects
Parties: We made decorations for holidays Christmas: drew names for gifts
Nativity play for community gathering Sang songs
Santa Claus came; little children cried with fear of strange appearance Halloween: Came to school in costume (my favorites were as a Dutch girl and as A nurse). Made Jack-o-lanterns Thanksgiving: Dressed as pilgrims & Indians
Valentines: art projects making valentines for parents, teachers, friends; a party To exchange valentines and of course goodies someone made.
Last Day of School: Community members came for a carry in meal. Program by all the kids; one year my little brother Gary sang a song to surprise Dad. Mary Jane and Virginia Neufeld and I sang “My Little Blue Gown” and We wore blue dresses.
We always had a picnic at the Harvey County Park before the end of School
Food: We all brought sack lunches which we ate at our desks. One teacher helped us Make hot lunches occasionally. Each family brought some vegetables and the Teacher cooked a soup.
The School House: One room with windows on the East side and coat rooms for boys and girls on each side of the West entrance.
Desks of different sizes for varying ages. Each year moved up to larger desks. Oldest kids had longer desks that could accommodate two kids. Desks often had Names carved in (that wasn't supposed to happen!), a slot for pencils, an ink well, Shelves under the top for books and papers.
Library with lots of shelves and books: my favorite place!
Blackboard across the front: ABC’s on chart above the blackboard, pictures of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. An American flag at the front Of the room.
Big coal stove in the back of the room.
Schedule: Each day began with the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag and the Lord’s Prayer. Some days we lined by outside. We always raised a flag outside And at the end of the day lowered it and brought it in. That was a privilege. We always prayed before meals.
The teacher had a bell which she rang when recess was over.
Recitation for classes: the class would sit in chairs at the front of the room. Other classes would be working on their lessons. All eight grades and kindergartners could listen to those reciting. We always read our books so we could answer questions.
Flash cards were used for learning arithmetic. It was a contest between class members.
I was very timid and could never get my mouth open during contest. When the teacher flashed them to me alone, I could quickly and correctly answer and she didn’t understand why I couldn’t with all 3 of us doing it together. I learned to hate arithmetic!
I was always excited to get new books and start the school year. It made me happy if we had workbooks that had not been completed at the end of the year so I could then play school in the summer with my younger brothers.
After School Happenings:
The Flickinger boys, Frank Stephen and we Epp children walked down the road together. Sometimes there were issues or problems. One day someone put wax paper from lunch sacks in a hollow tree and lit the paper with a match. The next morning Miss Thompson, our teacher, had to have Chuck Hill pull the downed tree out of the road so she could get to school. No one talked!!! Another time some of the boys had bikes and they accidentally ran into each other. Some tears were shed; playing stopped and we got down the road!
Getting to school: We were supposed to be on time, but my Dad would sometimes take us part way and then tell us to walk the rest of the way for exercise—then we would be late. It was embarrassing. Snow storms seemed bigger back then. Sometimes we couldn’t get to school until the snowplow opened the road. Once Mother put us on Prince, our horse, and lead him across the fields to school. She had to walk through deep snow even though she didn’t have really good boots.
One year a prairie fire was sweeping through the miles of pasture land in the area. Frank Stephen was taken from school to help fight the fire. Miss Thompson loaded the rest of we kids in her gray Chevy coup to go look! The fire jumped across the road in front of the car. Exciting!
Perhaps the school got its name from some yellow wild roses which grew at the end of the road which lead to the school. Whatever the reason for the school name, I always thought it was special!
Miss Thompson was a very special teacher; she had also been my Dad’s teacher.
Everyone was so sad when she had to resign; but she needed to care for her elderly mother. Other good teachers followed.
The last graduation from Wild Rose was April 20, 1957; it was a “happy sad day” for John Flickinger, Henry Neufeld and myself as the last graduating class. Our school was forever closed, but we had been able to finish there.
The graduation ceremony for all Harvey County one-room schools was at a Newton building; there we received our diplomas.
Original Format
Typewritten pages
Title
Wild Rose School: Memories of Greta (Epp) Snell
Subject
Wild Rose School
Description
Brief memories of student at Wild Rose School who graduated in the last class, in 1957.
Creator
Snell, Greta Epp
Source
Personal collection of Leroy Koehn
Publisher
Halstead Public Library, Halstead, Kansas
Date
ca. 1948 - 1957
Contributor
Koehn, Leroy
Rights
Format
text/plain
Language
English
Type
Narratives
Citation
Snell, Greta Epp, “Wild Rose School: Memories of Greta (Epp) Snell,” Halstead Digital History Collections, accessed April 29, 2024, https://halstead.digitalsckls.info/item/80.Text
Wild Rose School: Memories of Greta (Epp) Snell 10-20-2011
Games:
Fox and Geese, hide and seek Ice skating on Koehn’s pond
Baseball: big boys chose to play and would be batters, catchers, pitchers and put the little kids out in the field to chase the balls. Lots of fun for us little kids! Ha!
Track meets every spring with Page and Maple Grove Schools which gave us a Chance to play with other kids. We would practice at our own schools before the meets. Three legged races, sack races, foot races, relays, broad Jump, high jump.
Crafts/Making gifts for Christmas
Woodworking: what-not-shelves; a frame for a room-divider screen; a dressing table.
Art projects
Parties: We made decorations for holidays Christmas: drew names for gifts
Nativity play for community gathering Sang songs
Santa Claus came; little children cried with fear of strange appearance Halloween: Came to school in costume (my favorites were as a Dutch girl and as A nurse). Made Jack-o-lanterns Thanksgiving: Dressed as pilgrims & Indians
Valentines: art projects making valentines for parents, teachers, friends; a party To exchange valentines and of course goodies someone made.
Last Day of School: Community members came for a carry in meal. Program by all the kids; one year my little brother Gary sang a song to surprise Dad. Mary Jane and Virginia Neufeld and I sang “My Little Blue Gown” and We wore blue dresses.
We always had a picnic at the Harvey County Park before the end of School
Food: We all brought sack lunches which we ate at our desks. One teacher helped us Make hot lunches occasionally. Each family brought some vegetables and the Teacher cooked a soup.
The School House: One room with windows on the East side and coat rooms for boys and girls on each side of the West entrance.
Desks of different sizes for varying ages. Each year moved up to larger desks. Oldest kids had longer desks that could accommodate two kids. Desks often had Names carved in (that wasn't supposed to happen!), a slot for pencils, an ink well, Shelves under the top for books and papers.
Library with lots of shelves and books: my favorite place!
Blackboard across the front: ABC’s on chart above the blackboard, pictures of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. An American flag at the front Of the room.
Big coal stove in the back of the room.
Schedule: Each day began with the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag and the Lord’s Prayer. Some days we lined by outside. We always raised a flag outside And at the end of the day lowered it and brought it in. That was a privilege. We always prayed before meals.
The teacher had a bell which she rang when recess was over.
Recitation for classes: the class would sit in chairs at the front of the room. Other classes would be working on their lessons. All eight grades and kindergartners could listen to those reciting. We always read our books so we could answer questions.
Flash cards were used for learning arithmetic. It was a contest between class members.
I was very timid and could never get my mouth open during contest. When the teacher flashed them to me alone, I could quickly and correctly answer and she didn’t understand why I couldn’t with all 3 of us doing it together. I learned to hate arithmetic!
I was always excited to get new books and start the school year. It made me happy if we had workbooks that had not been completed at the end of the year so I could then play school in the summer with my younger brothers.
After School Happenings:
The Flickinger boys, Frank Stephen and we Epp children walked down the road together. Sometimes there were issues or problems. One day someone put wax paper from lunch sacks in a hollow tree and lit the paper with a match. The next morning Miss Thompson, our teacher, had to have Chuck Hill pull the downed tree out of the road so she could get to school. No one talked!!! Another time some of the boys had bikes and they accidentally ran into each other. Some tears were shed; playing stopped and we got down the road!
Getting to school: We were supposed to be on time, but my Dad would sometimes take us part way and then tell us to walk the rest of the way for exercise—then we would be late. It was embarrassing. Snow storms seemed bigger back then. Sometimes we couldn’t get to school until the snowplow opened the road. Once Mother put us on Prince, our horse, and lead him across the fields to school. She had to walk through deep snow even though she didn’t have really good boots.
One year a prairie fire was sweeping through the miles of pasture land in the area. Frank Stephen was taken from school to help fight the fire. Miss Thompson loaded the rest of we kids in her gray Chevy coup to go look! The fire jumped across the road in front of the car. Exciting!
Perhaps the school got its name from some yellow wild roses which grew at the end of the road which lead to the school. Whatever the reason for the school name, I always thought it was special!
Miss Thompson was a very special teacher; she had also been my Dad’s teacher.
Everyone was so sad when she had to resign; but she needed to care for her elderly mother. Other good teachers followed.
The last graduation from Wild Rose was April 20, 1957; it was a “happy sad day” for John Flickinger, Henry Neufeld and myself as the last graduating class. Our school was forever closed, but we had been able to finish there.
The graduation ceremony for all Harvey County one-room schools was at a Newton building; there we received our diplomas.
Original Format
Typewritten pages