By Elaine Rassel
Friday afternoon and Saturday morning (Nov. 3 & 4) were the designated times that people could come into the Elementary school and take out what they wanted (free will offering asked for) before the Monday, Nov. 6 demolition of the Elementary school.
As I came in the front door, I began to think of all the times I had been to this school, the school that most of my kids had gone to. The first room from the front door was Mrs. Lehnhoff’s room. Oh, how many times Steve and I had been to this room to take pictures of her class for the newspaper. When COVID hit, there were no more pictures taken. I understand that parents didn’t want their child’s picture taken (but it was okay to be posted on another Social Media.) Next I went to the gym or place the kids ate their noon meals at. (Breakfast was not offered at this time.) The tables came down from the wall for eating and back up again.
This is the place that my mother was head cook of many years before. At that time, the schools got what the government sent them and they had to make do what was given them. As usual, there were always kids that didn’t like what was being served.
This area was also where “programs” were given and people were invited to come. I was at many of the Veteran’s Day programs where Nancy Hier came with the flag representing her deceased brother. Roger Leavitt was also there at that time. Kay Ogren had kids ring their color coordinated bells to give us a song.
It was also the place where Mr. Lens many years earlier told the audience that the Christmas program given by the kids would be short that year. There was a couple that lived in Paullina that had contacted surrounding schools that there was to be NO religious songs sung at their programs or they would report them. Shortly after Christmas, they moved away.
Leaving this area, I looked at the wall adjacent to the gym. Sarah Utesch had her art work on this upper wall. This was the beginning of what Sarah does now—art! Sadly enough, it will be landfill material after Monday.
Then I proceeded down the hall. These rooms were bare except for bookcases, desks and chairs. The second grade room was probably the room I visited more often. That room was where Grandparents Day was observed. I took the place many times for those who couldn’t come and be with their grandchild. The last time I did this was when Mrs. Utesch was teacher.
The first grade room was where many programs were given—some prior to the usual Spring, Fall, or Christmas programs. Mrs. Wilberding did the music with the kids.
Charlton had a Mrs. Grover when he was in the first grade. She lived where Bruce Dreckman now lives. She spent a lot of time with students who had difficulty with some of the subjects she taught. She took the time to help them.
The kindergarten room was where Miss Baker spent many of her teaching years while living in Marcus. She contacted me one day after Zachary had been there for 2 weeks. It seemed that he was crying and now she felt it was time to tell me. He said he was crying for me! I told him that if I came out to eat lunch with him, would he promise not to cry for me anymore. He agreed. After having lunch with him, that night I asked him if he kept his promise. He said, “Yes, I didn’t cry for you but I cried for Jennifer!”
The school nurse was Mrs. Case. When you registered for kindergarten in the spring, you had tests taken. One of them was for hearing. Days before Cameron went to kindergarten that fall, I got a call from Mrs. Case that Cameron should come out that next day and have his hearing checked as it didn’t check very good that previous spring.
When we got out to school that day, Cameron said he wasn’t happy about taking this test. He said, “I got tired of raising my hand, so I just didn’t!” Mrs. Bentz was taking her boy there for the same reason. I got her aside and told her about the “hand raising bit”. When she asked the boy about this, he said the same thing that he was tired of raising his hand. Mrs. Case was told this and this time they both passed without a problem!
There have been so many teachers that have taught in this Elementary school. Some have been there many years and even retired from there. There were others that came for a short while as they found someone to marry in our community.
Now the kids have a brand new Elementary school and with this school, there will be many memories just like what I had in the old Elementary school.