I was born in Merrick County on a farm north of Archer, Nebraska on June 29, 1940. My eight siblings and I attended a one-room, one-teacher school known as District #43 or “The Stove Poker School.” Five of my siblings graduated from Archer High School. However, the state closed the high school and my senior year I attended and graduated from Palmer High School.
Following graduation, I went to work for a dentist in Central City. After working there one year, I knew I wanted to go to college to become a teacher. Our Merrick County District Superintendent told me the 1959-1960 school year was the last year Kearney State Teacher’s College was offering the one year – one summer teaching certificate known as the 40 Hour certificate. It would allow me to teach any rural school. I talked to my dad and he said he would co-sign a loan for me at the Archer Bank. In the fall of 1959, I enrolled and remember one of my professors called us, “The Forty Hour Wonders.” He said it would be a wonder if we taught our students anything!
I was hired to teach District #24, which was only six miles from my parents’ home. My salary was $2,800. I had every grade from kindergarten through eighth except fifth grade. I would go to school by 7:00 a.m. and come home at dark. Every day after school, I would grade the papers, read each grades’ assignments for the next day and create each test I gave. I would use the purple carbon paper between sheets if I needed more than one copy.
The school was modern for those days as I had inside bathrooms, a telephone and a gas furnace. Of course, I had to do my own janitorial work. Discipline was never a problem as I had great parent support. Two very special events that both the kids and the parents loved were the “Christmas Program” and “The Last Day of School Picnic.” The whole community would come whether they had children in school or not.
Teaching here was the beginning of a wonderful career. I went back to Kearney and got my Bachelor’s Degree and then went to Loveland, Colorado to teach. I met my husband and we moved back to Nebraska to farm and raise our family. I taught in Grand Island before our daughter, Leah was born. I took 10 years off until both our children were in school. Then, I went back to teaching in Grand Island and got my Master’s degree at Kearney. A year after I retired from teaching in Grand Island for 24 years, I was hired to teach part time at Palmer and continue to substitute.
I credit my love of teaching and my success as a teacher to many of my experiences in the one room, one teacher schools. There I learned so many attributes necessary to succeed as an educator.
Following graduation, I went to work for a dentist in Central City. After working there one year, I knew I wanted to go to college to become a teacher. Our Merrick County District Superintendent told me the 1959-1960 school year was the last year Kearney State Teacher’s College was offering the one year – one summer teaching certificate known as the 40 Hour certificate. It would allow me to teach any rural school. I talked to my dad and he said he would co-sign a loan for me at the Archer Bank. In the fall of 1959, I enrolled and remember one of my professors called us, “The Forty Hour Wonders.” He said it would be a wonder if we taught our students anything!
I was hired to teach District #24, which was only six miles from my parents’ home. My salary was $2,800. I had every grade from kindergarten through eighth except fifth grade. I would go to school by 7:00 a.m. and come home at dark. Every day after school, I would grade the papers, read each grades’ assignments for the next day and create each test I gave. I would use the purple carbon paper between sheets if I needed more than one copy.
The school was modern for those days as I had inside bathrooms, a telephone and a gas furnace. Of course, I had to do my own janitorial work. Discipline was never a problem as I had great parent support. Two very special events that both the kids and the parents loved were the “Christmas Program” and “The Last Day of School Picnic.” The whole community would come whether they had children in school or not.
Teaching here was the beginning of a wonderful career. I went back to Kearney and got my Bachelor’s Degree and then went to Loveland, Colorado to teach. I met my husband and we moved back to Nebraska to farm and raise our family. I taught in Grand Island before our daughter, Leah was born. I took 10 years off until both our children were in school. Then, I went back to teaching in Grand Island and got my Master’s degree at Kearney. A year after I retired from teaching in Grand Island for 24 years, I was hired to teach part time at Palmer and continue to substitute.
I credit my love of teaching and my success as a teacher to many of my experiences in the one room, one teacher schools. There I learned so many attributes necessary to succeed as an educator.