USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > Centennial anniversary of Whiteside County Education Association, 1856-1956. Historical booklet > Part 4
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JORDAN TOWNSHIP
The first settlement in this township was made by S. Miles Coe on April 10, 1835. Others to come that year were James Talbot and Joseph M. Wilson. One early settler is responsible for the statement that there were no schools in Jordan town- ship before 1850. It is known, however, that a frame school house was erected on the Freeport Road, near the Jonathan F. Coe place in 1853, and was known as the Coe School. It was taken down and replaced by a new stone school on the west side of the road, and called the Stone School. Capp School had its beginning in 1856 and was taught in the early years by W. W. Davis, John Lennon, and C. W. Marston.
LYNDON TOWNSHIP
The year 1835 saw the arrival of the first settlers in this township. In this year came Adam R. Hamilton, Chauncey G. Woodruff, and William D. Dudley and their families; also Liberty Walker and Ephraim H. Hubbard. Many new fami- lies arrived in 1836. The summer of 1836 saw the opening of the first school in the township. Lovica Hamilton was the first teacher, and classes were held in the back room of her father's cabin. A Mr. Knowlton succeeded Miss Hamilton in the winter of 1836-37, classes being held in the same place. In 1837, a log school house was built near Mr. Hamilton's place and Alexis Hubbard took over as the first teacher.
In 1840, a school house was erected in the village of Lyndon at a cost of six hundred dollars. It was a one-story frame building, thirty-six feet long and twenty-four feet wide, with two windows on each end and four on each side. The floor was inclined, and the seats and benches were of pine. The first teacher was Lewis Jessup, a college graduate. The en- rollment numbered at least seventy-five scholars who came from all parts of the county. This was the first school in the county to offer work beyond the elementary grades. Here many of the sons and daughters of the prominent and influ-
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ential early settlers of the county received their preparatory education before entering college.
Early teachers in this school were Mr. Stone, Mr. Bush. Miss Putnam, Mr. Hillis, Edwin Roy, Ellen Newhall, Clinton G. Taylor, H. H. Smith, M. R. Kelly, Edward P. Scott, Col. D. R. Clendenin, Martha Millikan, Clista Hatch, Miss Wisner, George Manning, Edward Chapman and Q. M. Crary. M. R. Kelly and O. M. Crary both served as Whiteside County Super- intendent of Schools.
MONTMORENCY TOWNSHIP
The first settler in Montmorency township was Asa Scott, who arrived in 1847. It was not until 1854, however, that any great number of settlements were made in this area. A small frame building was erected in 1856 for school purposes and classes were held there during the winter of 1856-57 under the direction of Alfred Snell. On June 3, 1860, this building was completely destroyed by the historic tornado of that year. The school house was later replaced by a much finer building. The Banes and McWhorter schools followed soon after.
MOUNT PLEASANT TOWNSHIP
The first settlement in this township was made near some timber just east of the present city of Morrison. This was in the year 1835 and the first settlers were William H. and John D. Paschal, James J. Thomas and Felix French. The first school was taught in 1838 by Oliver Hall in a little log house that had greased paper for windows. Mr. Hall was paid ten dollars per month and "boarded round." Money for this early school was raised by subscription. Teachers in the old log school house, besides Mr. Hall, were John Dodge, Benjamin Burns, A. M. Cox, L. L. Hoag and Abraham Law.
The log school house served until an 18x24 frame building was completed in 1847, funds again having been raised by subscription. Seats in the new school were slabs of wood and the desks were rough boards. A. P. Young took over as teach- er in the new school and was succeeded in the next few years by L. L. Hoag, Wilson Nichols, Sarah Simonson, B. K. Jackson, Freedom Herrick, Miss R. D. Blanchard, Miss S. A. Buffum, Miss S. M. Sherwin, John Lane, Mary Shively, Samantha Belt, M. E. DeGroff, Maurice Savage, John Phinney, Lucy Temple, J. G. White, and Lydia Ann Gibbs.
In 1858, the little frame school house was moved to a new site in what is now the city of Morrison and enlarged. From 1856 to 1858, the upper story of Johnson's Hall was used for
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a schoolroom. In 1860, a two-story brick building, 40x60 feet in size, was erected. 1868 saw the addition of a high school department.
NEWTON TOWNSHIP
Jeremiah Pearson came from Georgia in 1835 to make the first settlement in this township. Others soon followed and in 1839 the first school was conducted in the cabin of Henry Rexroad with Eliza Abbey as teacher. It is interesting to note that Miss Abbey soon became Mrs. Rexroad. This school was supported by subscription and had ten pupils.
PORTLAND TOWNSHIP
Alexander J. and Norman B. Seely came to Portland town- ship in June of 1834, and were soon followed that same year by Mitchell Ruxton. A large number of settlers came during the next two years. The first school was taught in the summer of 1836 by Eliza Hall. Classes were held in the back room of Norman Seeley's log house with a dozen children in attend- ance. Miss Hall became ill with the fever after about two months and Miss Lovica Hamilton was engaged to teach the school the next spring in the same room. Two log school houses were built in 1837, one near the village of Portland and the other near the old Sharon Church.
PROPHETSTOWN TOWNSHIP
Asa Crook, with his wife and nine children arrived at the mouth of Coon Creek on June 4, 1834, to make the first settle- ment in this township. Samuel A. McClure located at the mouth of Walker's slough at about the same time. Several others came to this place that fall. The first school was held in the cabin of Asa Crook in the fall of 1835 and was taught by Lovica Hamilton. This school held in the cabin of Asa Crook was the first school to be held in Whiteside County.
William Hill arrived in the township with his family in 1835. Being much interested in education, he saw to it that a log school house was built the following year. All records seem to indicate that this was the first school house built in White- side County. It was located on Washington Street in the vil- lage of Prophetstown. The little log school was a very crude structure and was replaced with a frame building in 1840. It was opened for classes on January 11, 1841, with Rufus Miner as teacher.
STERLING TOWNSHIP
Hezekiah Brink erected a crude cabin and broke sod on the
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present site of the city of Sterling in 1834. The following year he brought his family from Indiana to Sterling and they were soon joined by others. In the spring of 1838, Mrs. E. B. Worth- ington opened a school in her home with ten pupils attending. In the fall of that same year, Mr. L. Whipple taught school in a building which had been erected for a shop on what is now Seventeenth Avenue in Sterling. Mr. Whipple was soon suc- ceeded by William H. Andrews as teacher. In 1856, Hezekiah Brink built a stone house which was rented for school purposes until 1860, when the people of the First Ward completed a iine new brick school on the present site of Lincoln School.
The first school house in the Second Ward was a frame structure erected soon after 1840. It stood on the east side of what is now First Avenue and south of East Third Street in Sterling. N. J. Nichols is listed in some old records as the teacher of this school. In 1852, the school treasurer was order- ed to reimburse the patrons of District Three for monies spent in finishing off the basement of the Presbyterian Church for a school room. School was held here until the completion of a frame school house in 1859, on the site of the present Cen- tral School.
The residents of the Third Ward in Sterling first attended school in the Second Ward, but in 1856 a frame school house was built on the block where Wallace School now stands.
Some early school teachers in Sterling before 1850 were J. B. Myers, S. W. Franklin, and May Batcheller. In the next decade came John Howe, William Kilgour, Miss Thurber, W. H. Andrews, Grove Wright and Mary Gilman and others.
TAMPICO TOWNSHIP
Tampico township was first settled in 1852 by Nicholas and John Lutyens, Hiram Tompkins and Jacob Barnley. By 1856, a number of families had arrived and the first school house was built in what was known as the Aldrich district. Orlando McNickle was the first teacher, beginning that fall. A school house was built one mile south of the present town of Tampico in 1869. It was moved to Tampico when the railroad was laid through the town. Soon it was necessary to use the second story of George Guffey's store to accomodate all who wished to attend. In 1874, crowded conditions caused the patrons to erect a two-story school house, which served for many years. Early teachers in Tampico were A. W. Bastian, Rosa Laughlin, Katie Fuller, Jennie Maxfield, Mary Glassburn, Maria Banes and Sadie Glassburn.
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UNION GROVE TOWNSHIP
Joshua T. Atkinson and his family arrived in this township to make their home in 1836, Mr. Atkinson having staked his claim and built a cabin the previous year. A small frame school house was erected at Unionville in 1840, and was taught by Augusta Foster. Earlier that year, the people of Unionvill . had sent their children to a school taught by Mary Jeffers in the log cabin of Henry Boyer in what is now Mt. Pleasant. A two-story combination school house and town hall was built at Unionville in 1854-55. The first floor was used for school purposes and the second floor as a town hall. In 1856, the building was taken over entirely for school purposes. An im- portant arrival in this township in 1837 was Daniel B. Young, who, because of his interest in education, was to become the first School Commissioner in Whiteside County, serving from 1840 to 1842.
USTICK TOWNSHIP
Wooster Y. Ives was the first settler to come to this town- ship, arriving in 1837. Edward Corbin, Amos Short and Ed- ward Rolph came later that same year. Two other arrivals in 1837 were a Mr. French and a Mr. Townsend, but they did not stay long. Amos Short's cabin was used as the first school in the summer of 1841, with Armenia Ingham as the first teacher. The second school house was built in 1846 and was called the Franklin or Cottonwood School.
One of the earliest singing schools in the county was held in this township in the home of Edward Rolph, with Seymour Tomlinson as singing teacher. This was in the winter of 1843- 44. The school was well attended by the young folks of the community and it was said that many a romance had its begin- ning that winter at the singing school.
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CONSTITUTION WHITESIDE COUNTY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
As Amended February 11, 1956
ARTICLE I Name and Object
Section 1. This organization shall be known as the Whiteside County Education Association.
Section 2. The aim of this association shall be the mutual improve- ment of its members and the general advancement of the educational in- terests of Whiteside County.
ARTICLE II
Section 1. Any person interested in educational work may become a member of this organization by paying to its treasurer the amount of the annual dues.
ARTICLE III Officers
Section 1. The officers of this association shall consist of a president, vice president, secretary and a treasurer. The County superintendent of schools shall be an ex-officio Officer of this association.
Section 2. The president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer shall be elected at the time of the annual meeting and shall hold their offices for a period of one year, or until their successors are chosen.
Section 3. The officers of this organization shall perform the duties usually devolving upon such officers. At the annual meeting held for the election of officers, the treasurer shall make a carefully itemized report of receipts and expenditures for the year.
Section 4. An executive committee shall be composed of the county superintendent of schools, the president, and the secretary of the associ- ation.
Section 5. The duties of the executive committee shall be: (1) to determine each year where the annual meeting is to be held; (2) to plan a program for the annual meeting; (3) to pass upon all bills against the association and to issue orders for the payment of all bills allowed.
Section 6. There shall be an advisory council composed of the county superintendent of schools, the president, the vice president, the secretary, and the treasurer of the association together with a representative from each subsidiary unit.
ARTICLE IV Meetings of the Association
Section 1. Each year the association shall hold one meeting.
Section 2. The annual meeting shall be held on the Friday immediate- ly preceding February 12.
ARTICLE V Method of Amending
Section 1. This constitution may be amended at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of the members present.
Section 2. All proposed amendents to the constitution or by-laws must be submitted to the association in writing.
BY-LAWS ARTICLE I Meetings
Section 1. The annual meeting shall be held in the county seat as long as a convenient and commodious auditorium can be secured for that purpose.
Section 2. The executive committee shall determine the time and
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place of the annual meeting subject to the provisions found in Article IV, Section 2, of the Constitution and Article I, Section 1, of the By-Laws.
Section 3. Each year within the first week of October, the county superintendent shall call and preside over a meeting of the advisory coun- cil in his office in the county seat.
ARTICLE HI Elections
Section 1. Only members in good standing shall vote and hold office. Section 2. A list of candidates for election to the offices of this asso- ciation shall be submitted to the voting members by the nominating com- mittee at the annual February meeting. Additional candidates may be submitted by any voting member from the floor at the annual meeting. Candidates shall then be elected as prescribed in Article III, Section 2.
Section 3. The County Superintendent of Schools shall receive resig- nations and fill vacancies by appointment.
ARTICLE III Appointive Committees
Section 1. Auditing-the vice president shall be the chairman of an auditing committee of three members: two other members shall be chosen from the advisory council by the president of the association at the time of the advisory council meeting in October.
Section 2. Nominating-at the October advisory council meeting the president shall name a committee of four members of the association in good standing to serve as a nominating committee. This committee shall prepare a list of candidates for each office of the association listed in Article III, Section 1. This list of candidates shall be submitted for elec- tion by the members of the association at the annual February meeting.
Section 3. Resolutions-at the closing session of the annual meeting in February the president shall appoint a four member resolutions com- mittee which will serve until the elose of the February meeting the follow- ing year. At any time during the period following the appointment of the committee on resolutions, each member of that committee shall stand ready to receive from members of the association suggestions intended to lead to mutual improvement of members or to the general advance- ment of educational interests. All such suggestions shall be considered by the committee in a regular session and incorporated in its annual re- port when found to be of sufficient common interest. If a report is made a copy of this report must be filed with the secretary immediately after the close of the annual meeting.
ARTICLE IV
Section 1. It shall be the policy of this organization to encourage groups within the association, having identical interests, to maks contri- butions toward a more complete realization of the aims of the association by offering suggestions growing from the needs characteristic of the groups they represent.
Section 2. A period of at least twenty minutes, devoted to groups having similar interests shall find a place on each annual program. At that time each group shall be assigned to a room to which it may retire for social or business purposes.
Section 3. The nature of the activities of the different divisions of the association during this period devoted to groups having similar inter- ests shall be determined by the dominant interest of each group. To facil- itate an orderly procedure the president of the association shall appoint a temporary chairman to preside over the initial gathering of each division until a permanent organization may be effected.
ARTICLE V Dues
Section 1. The annual membership dues shall be determined each year by the executive committee and shall not exceed one dollar per year.
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ARTICLE VI Mileage
Section 1. Any member who finds it necessary to drive a car while discharging obligations placed upon him by authority properly constituted within the association shall be reimbursed at the rate of five cents a mile for trips of fity miles or more and at the rate of seven cents a mile for trips of less than fifty miles.
ARTICLE VII The Surplus
Section 1. Whenever the surplus of funds in the treasury of the as- sociation warrants the cost, the executive committee collaborating with the county superintendent shall publish an educational directory of the county and distribute it among the teachers of the association.
NATIONAL, STATE and COUNTY OFFICERS IN EDUCATION
U. S. COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION Samuel M. Brownell Department of the Interior Washington, D. C. NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 1201 Sixteenth Street, Washington, D. C.
President
J. Lester Buford William G. Carr
Executive Secretary
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Vernon L. Nickell State Office Building Springfield, Illinois
ILLINOIS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION 100 E. Edwards Street, Springfield, Illinois
President
Executive Secretary
ROCK RIVER DIVISION ILLINOIS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
President. Glenna Gaddis, Morrison
Vice-President
Reuben Krakow, Dixon Florence Ventler, Dixon
Secretary
Treasurer Marjorie Chandler. Dixon
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS Court House, Morrison, Illinois
Loren S. Young
Ass't. Superintendent.
Glenna Gaddis
Secretary Eileen Bealer
WHITESIDE COUNTY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
President
Leslie H. Janke, Morrison
Vice-President.
Helen Workman, Morrison
Secretary Helen Ramsey, Sterling
Treasurer Floyd Corl, Rock Falls
COUNTY BOARD OF SCHOOL TRUSTEES
William Considine, President.
Fulton Erie
Wayne Lyon
Prophetstown
Peter Aggen
Route 1, Morrison
Earl K. Detweiler
Route 1, Sterling
Charles Ashpole.
Lyndon Tampico
Edward S. Burke
William H. Carruthers Irving F. Pearson
Superintendent.
Joseph Slaymaker
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DIRECTORY
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS IN WHITESIDE COUNTY Districts with 4 or more teachers
ALBANY COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL District No. 139 Albany, Illinois
Alan Riedesel . Principal, Science,
Rending, Phy. Ed.
Helen Monnier . . 1st grade
Elizabeth Mahoney
2nd grade
Agnita Caruthers
. 3rd grade
Evelyn Hobson .
4th grade
Rosa Marx ... English, Arithmetic, Music
Ben MeAdams Social Studies, English
Reading, Phy. Ed.
Beverly House Art
EAST COLOMA SCHOOL
District No. 12 Rock Falls, Illinois
Vincent B. Brasi. . Principal, 7th, sth grades
Dona Jean Puls. . 1st grade
Myrtle Welch. 2nd grade
Bernadine R. Selme ,3rd grade
Claire B. Ward. 4th grade
Beulah H. Allen .5th, 6th grades
Carolyn Holaday . Secretary
ERIE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL District No. 303 Erie, Illinois
P. H. DiVall .... Principal, American History Wayne Hein ... Ass't. Principal, Mathematics Kathleen Barkman. . Homemaking
Virginia Noland. English, Library
Floyd Wohrley Vocational Agriculture
George Pelletier . Band, Voeal Music
Betty Ann Langheim. Commercial Girls P.E. Francis Langheim. .. Coach, Boys P.E., Shop John Seppela Physics, Chemistry.
General Science
John Smith Biology. Social Science.
Coach, Boys P.E.
Ruth Vaughn English, Latin
ERIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
District No. 87 Erie, Illinois
George E. Swafford. Principal, Coach
Dorothy Bergsmith Kindergarten
Lois Echelbarger 1st grade
Carol Redell 2nd grade
Lillian Beemer
. 3rd grade
Twila Perkins
Primary
Ass't.
Mildred Guthrie
4th grade
Ella DiVal).
.5th grade
Lona Pfundstein 4th, 5th grades
Zeta Bleitz
6th grade
Paul Wagner
Coach 7th grade
Clara Boone. Ass't. Principal, 8th grade
Bette Crandall
Music
FENTON CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL
District No. 135 Fenton, Illinois
Robie Walton . Principal, 5th. 6th grades
Laura Hull
. 1st, 2nd grades
Maud Conlon
3rd, 4th grades
Irene Riewerts 7th, 8th grades
FULTON COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Fulton, Illinois
Anthony DeGroot . . Principal, 5-8 grades Grace Balk Kindergarten, Ist grade
Lois Wilkins 2nd, 3rd 4th grades
FULTON COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL District No. 306 Fulton, Illinois
M. B. Necce . Superintendent
Lyle J. Henderson. . Ass't. Principal,
Algebra I. Guidance Director
Charles M. De Wild Boy's P. F., Athletic
Director, Basketball-Track Couch
Susan Flott .
. English III, IV.
Speech, Dramaties
Flossie N. Hinman Lattin I, II, Librarian Permelia Lay . English J. 1I
W. Eugene Leetch. Band, Chorus
Darel Mensch. . . G. Science, World History, Football, Asa't. Track, Jr. Varsity Basketball Coach John W. O'Connell. .. . Algebra I, II, General Math., Plane Geometry,
Trigonometry
Richard F. Osner . General Science,
Physics, Chemistry
Roylene Peterson Girl's P. E.
John W. Phillips . . English Il Bookkeeping,
Typing
Hazel E. Schaad. . Home Economies 1. II, III
Harold E. Vance .... Agriculture 1, 11, 111, IV Duane J. VanderSchaaf. . G. Science, Biology Ass't. Football Coach Gilbert D. Veach. . . . Industrial Arts I, II, III Fern M. Watson .... A. History, Sociology, American Government
James H. Zimmerman. .. Typing. Shorthand, G. Business, Economic Geography.
Office Practice
Carmen Dykema
. School Nurse
Irma Renkes. . Secretary
FULTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL District No. 111 Fulton, Illinois
M. B. Neece. . . Superintendent
James Nesti. . Principal, Jr. High Mathematics Ruth Heaney Kindergarten
Elizabeth Ven Huizen 1st grade
Marilyn Opheim
Ist grade
Esther Gusse. 2nd grade
Bernice Considine.
2nd grade
Beverly VanderSchaaf 3rd
grade
Margaret Montgomery 3rd grade
Ruth Bassler 4th
grade
Margery Brondyke 4th grade
Geneva Haring 5th grade
Viletta Temple 5th grade
Donald Bly 6th grade
Al Caruthers.
6th grade
Fleming W. Flott . Coach, Jr. High
Frances Jones Jr. High
Bernard Wascher Jr. High
Della Marsh Everts Vocal Music
Shirley Bloomer Physical Education
James Pemble Art
Eugene Leetch Instrumental Music
Carmen Dykema School Nurse
Lois Sterenberg. . School Secretary
GARDEN PLAIN COMMUNITY
CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL
District No. 142 Fulton, Illinois
John E. MeCoy .... Principal, 5th, 6th grades
Marie B. Van Vuren . . 1st, 2nd grades
Viola Hill. . 2nd, 3rd grade *
Mary K. Rateliff. . 3rd, 4th grades
Dorothy Stone . 7th, Sth grades
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GENESEE COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL District No. 138 Coleta, Illinois
Harriet B. Rowsey . Principal, Music
Grace Heide. 1st, 2nd, 4th grades
Lydia Rosenberry . 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th,
8th grade
Martha Johnson 1-8 grades
Bertha Grubb
1-8 grades
Florence Pitts 1-8 grades
JORDAN COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL District No. 143 Sterling, Illinois
Leon E. Dailey .... Principal, 7th, 8th grades
Lucille A. Woessner. .1st, 2nd grades
Clara E. Brauer 5th 6th grades
Velma E. Davis.
. 7th, 8th grades
LYNDON COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL District No. 305 Lyndon, Illinois
W. E. Miley . Superintendent. Algebra,
Biology, General Science
W. A. Lear. . Coach, Typing I, II, Book-
keeping, General Business, Boys' P. E. Lydia J. Stafney. ..... English I, II III, IV, Latin I
Dorothy Orndorff. .. American History, Soci-
ology, Geography, General Math., Social Studies, Girls' P. E.
V. R. Olmstead
. Vocal Music
R. F. Cahail. Band
LYNDON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL District No. 71 Lyndon, Illinois
W. E. Miley. . Superintendent
Marjorie Stevens . 1st grade
Madge Hunt .2nd grade
Vida Mason. 3rd, 4th grades
Margaret Emmons
. 5th, 6th grades
Dorothy Woodward.
7th, 8th grades
V. R. Olmstead. Vocal Music
R. F. Cahail.
Band
MONTMORENCY COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL District No. 145 Rock Falls, Illinois
Glen E. Genz .. . Principal, 1-8 grades
Dorothy Knox 1-4 grades
Robert K. Johnston 5-8 grades
Jennalee Hunter. 1-4 grades
Earl S. Howard. 5-8 grades
Edna M. Clinton 1-8 grades
Melvina G. Heuer 1-8 grades
MORRISON COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL District No. 307 Morrison, Illinois
E. S. Simmonds . Superintendent
E. M. Cole. . Principal, Sociology
Lorene C. Barnes . . English
Charles Beck. U. S. History, Athletics
Lawrence Blunt Science, Algebra I
Mabel Borman. . Mathematics
Perry J. Buikema Math., Driver Ed.,
Sr. Science
Glenn A. Collins . Band
Helen H. Collins Home Ec.
Marcelle Dean . English I, Guidance
Inez L. Eagleton . Latin, Spanish
Lorrin Fassett. Boys' P. E., Athletics
Glenn Deane Flora Girls' P. E.
Bettie Hall. . Art, English I
Joan S. Hoburg Business Education
Alberta Jackson. English III Speech
Mary P. Keohane . Social Science
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