Memories of Washington #8
By Marian (Hoffman) Long
I attended that school from 3rd grade through 8th grade. Selma Ross was my teacher until the 8th grade when Rozora taught us.
Located 1 mile east and 4 miles north of Manning on the OCO road.
It was a newer country school --- a full basement with cement floor --- a furnace provided heat and it contained a indoor chemical toilets with separate restrooms for boys and girls.
However the school had no water and was obtained from a near-by farm.
The pupils (first to arrive and the strongest) would take the covered water pail an fetch the day’s supply. Upon returning to school the water fountain (a crockery container with push button faucet) was filled and the water remaining was used for washing hands.
A Christmas program was held each year in the evening. There wasn’t electricity so each family brought a lamp to furnish light --- and they also brought goodies.
At year’s end a picnic was held on Sunday for all families.
That was a fun day!
Each Friday afternoon we stopped the studies early and all the pupils pitched in to weekly clean our school. When that was done we had Art.
We would color or make simple crafts and decorate the windows or bulletin board.
The entire south side of the school contained windows for sufficient lighting and the north wall was covered with blackboard.
Memories of Washington #8
By Dale Vollstedt
Dale Vollstedt was in 5th grade when the school closed.
Other students who attended this school:
Dean Stribe, Rosy (Muhlbauer) Nulle
Paul Vollstedt & Lowell Stribe started in 1941
Ron Frahm, Larry Knudsen, Marilyn (Sonksen) Lohmeier, Lyle Knudsen, Sylvia (Vollstedt)
Ingel and Roger Eischeid started in 1942.
Winnie Mae (Van)Swearingen (not Minnie) and her brother, Charles A. (Van)Swearingen. They are the children of John Abner Swearingen. John is the son of Martin VanBuren Swearingen. The name started out as Van Swearingen and some of the kids carried on with the Van part while others dropped it and went only by Swearingen.