Pella —
Bend school was located just inside the eastern border of sec. 17 on a road which no longer exists. It was south of the Des Moines River and north of White Breast Creek. If the building were still there today it would be nestled in the curve where Lake Red Rock backs up into White Breast Creek.
The earliest mention of this school is from the Jan. 18, 1884 Knoxville Journal. The correspondent for the Rousseau neighborhood news writes that there will be a spelling match at Bend tonight. Rousseau was laid out in 1850 in the western part of section 9 adjacent to the Des Moines River. It had a post office from 1873-1903. It evidently also had a school as I found two teachers listed: Mr. E. Crozier in 1884 and Miss Maggie Watkins in 1894 and 1896. The town site is now under the lake.
Spelling contests were an important part of early education. In Feb. 2, 1884, the Rousseau reporter says that there have been two matches between Bend and Fairview and a third is scheduled.
The Marion County Historical Society has some of the record books from this school. Teacher Lois Wright in 1914 writes that she “used supplementary readers for all grades and this should be kept up as the school is behind in reading. Also writing has been neglected.”
In the fall of 1942 teacher Mary L. Turner reports these receipts: $6.17 for scrap iron, $1.50 for fortune telling and popcorn sales, $13.60 for scrap iron and $1.00 for Christmas cards. Teacher Madge Crozier received .40 for milkweed pods and spent $1.98 for water colors, .36 for state tests, .45 for toilet tissue, .80 paint for art and .80 for clay. (During world War II many country schools collected scrap iron and milkweed pods as part of the war effort) The record book also included a report on communicable diseases giving the ages when children had the disease and if they had had vaccinations.
Teachers included: D. I. Phillips 1878, Lillie Workerman 1886, D. I. Phillips 1887, Ora Rutherford 1895, Ella Decker, Alma Cloe 1898, Alma Cloe, Martha Ver Heul 1899, Maggie Toom, Jennie K. Johnson 1900, Eva L. Wilson, Mabel Reynolds 1901, Lottie McClymond, Fessie M. Palmer 1902 , Kellie Morrow, Fessie M. Palmer 1903, Bertha Clingan, Elsie Mason 1904, Bertha Clingan 1905, Mabel De Witt, Cluna Karns 1906, Fessie M. Palmer, Virgie Shinn 1907, Hazel Risser 1908, Anna B. Brause, Tressa Faye Woody, Grace Toom 1909, Tressa Faye Woody 1910, Helen Cooper 1911, Velta Jones 1912, Grace Toom 1913, Marguerite Moffat, Lois Wright 1914, Evelyn Slayman, Leota Godfrey 1915, Tressa L. Fry 1916, Margaret Moffit, Frances Conrey, Grace Conrey 1917, Jane Ann Robinson 1918, No school 1919, Grace Toom 1923-25, Mildred Shoemaker 1926, Mrs. Ella Crozier, Rose Giles 1926, Lucille Crozier, Madge Crozier, Meryle Staley 1930, Madge Crozier 1931, Mabel Palmquist 1923-33, Mrs. Clarence Mohler 1934, Betty Heaberlin 1935, Evelyn Lyon 1936, Loveda Kamp 1937, Inez Stittsworth 1938, Elreta Burnett 1939, Leah Hegwood 1940, Dorothy Alley 1941, Mary L. Turner 1942, Mary L. Turner, Marjorie Blom 1943, Madge Crozier 1944-45, Joy Flanagan 1946, Madge Crozier 1947-51.
Please continue to contact me with your stories and/or pictures. 641-618-4716 or helenboertje@iowatelecom.net
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