Looking back at the one room school

By Helen Boertje

The Fairview school was on the north side of Jewell St. between 75th and 82nd Ave. and was moved 3/4 miles west and remodeled into a home by Giles and Mary Judith Wadle.

The Knoxville Journal of June 1877 reports that teacher Maggie Brown has 44 students. In Dec. of 1881 the reporter comments that there will be two Christmas trees at Fairview. “The people of this district sure know how to decorate.” A Jan., 1890 edition notes that teacher Agnes Manix treated her pupils to oranges and candy. (most likely after the annual Christmas program)

Mary Judith writes that the school was located on a hill making it ideal for coasting in the wintertime. Because the snow usually drifted over the fence at the bottom of the hill the students could fly right over the fence into the neighbor’s field. She attended school there from kindergarten through 8th grade while her brother Myles Murphy attended through 6th grade.

In a telephone conversation Myles told me they lived two miles from the school and usually walked through the fields to get there. A call to Wayne (Doc) De Moss revealed that he too walked through the fields or rode one of his dad’s horses to get there. Doc said he acquired his nickname during his early school years when a teacher asked him what he wanted to be. His reply, “a doctor.” However, he never became a doctor, he said, except a doctor for his horses.

Myles Murphy mentioned his appreciation for teacher Mrs. Beem who took them on walks down the road to identify trees and other plants. She taught them a lot about nature. She was also very good at identifying the talents of each student and encouraged them to participate in appropriate activities. She entered Myles in a vocal contest at a Knoxville theater. He remembers being very nervous as he had never been on stage before. (She must have been an exceptional teacher to take the time to observe and encourage the special strengths of each student)

In writing about her school days Mary Judith Wadle says “Our games included Annie-Annie over which has been enjoyed over the years by our children and their cousins and our grand kids throwing the ball over the same schoolhouse (our home).”

Teachers included Miss Maggie Brown 1877, Miss Edmonds 1878, R. A. Hardin 1879, Miss Boydston 1889, Miss Robinson 1882, Everet Murphy 1883, Leslie Vernon 1885, Cleumeria Derry, Edna Culver 1886, Miss Dena Kingery 1887, Miss Klienenedorst, Miss White 1888, Annie Manix, May McCollum 1889, Miss Cora Snider, Miss Canon, Agnes Manix 1890, Eva Gardener 1891, Aura Darnell 1894, Etta Bivans 1895, Hattie Lemmon, Mrs. Conn 1898, Martha Ver Heul, Lora Myers 1899, Maggie Conway 1890, Maggie Conway, Anna Bush 1901, John P. Ward 1903-04, John P. Ward. Lloyd Putnam 1905, Lizzie McKinney, Martha Conway 1906, Martha Conway, Ethel Welsher 1907, Ethel Welsher , Virgie Shinn 1908, Mary Caffrey 1909, Edna Neal, Beulah Lever 1910, Beulah Lever, Kathryn Wren 1911, Kathryn Wren 1912, John P. Caffrey 1913-14, Mary Caffrey 1915, Blanche Pegram 1916, Brownie Gardner 1917, Areole Stubbs 1919, Mrs. Gail Horsman, John Pringle, Beatrice Erb 1921, Loretta Brown 1922, Minnie Hiatt, Loretta Brown 1923, Vera Covey 1924, Hazel Harkin 1925, Kate Ward 1927, Frances Kearney 1928, Frances Kearney 1930, Frances Kearney 1932-33, Madonna Beary 1934-38, Mildred Beary 1939-41, Mrs. Thelma Hilsabeck 1942, Catherine O’Brien, 1943-45, Mrs. Helen Beem 1947-48, Mrs. Mary Hester 1949.

I am seeking pictures and memories about the other four Fairview schools in Marion County. Contact me at 641-628-4716 or helenboertje@iowatelecom.net

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