Telling My Story: Living in a new house and starting a new school

My father married my step-mother Phyllis Jones March 18, 1951 when my brother and I were 3-1/2 years old. They were both working in Great Bend, 10 miles away. We continued to live as a family at my Grandparents' home in Hoisington, KS while Dad and "Mom" had a home built onto the "Basement House" I've written about previously. The house was finished and we moved "back home"  in the Spring of 1952.

The Basement House Dad built in 1947,
2201 Jefferson St, Great Bend, KS

The two bedroom house Dad had built on top
of the basement in 1952.

The house was on a corner lot and had a
two car garage and Shop near the alley.

This is the south entrance that was the same
entrance to the basement in the first picture above. 

Dennis and I lived 4 blocks north of the E. E. Morrison School, so we walked to school. I don't remember ever walking WITH Dennis. But we were only allowed to walk straight south on the sidewalk down Jefferson Street to the school building. Since our dad and step-mother had custody of us following our parents' divorce, our step-mother was always fearful that our mother would attempt to "kidnap" us. She was very strict about our comings and goings. Therefore I grew up living in a "small, rigid world" that Phyllis thought was safe for us. We couldn't walk to school down a neighboring street, or stay and play somewhere before going home. We had a key to the house, since our parents both "worked" outside the home and were expected to return straight home from school. Our neighbor Dona Doughty babysat us through 4th grade and upon her marriage our neighbor Millie Donner watched us after school until Dad got home from work at 6:00 pm. Mom didn't arrive home from her job at Jones Laundry until 9:00 pm Monday through Saturday! 

We weren't home all the time. I don't mean to imply that. Mom gave us many opportunities to get involved in activities. I'll write more about those later. 

Here we are playing in fresh snow in our new yard, age 4.

Dad had plenty of help clearing the porch
and walks of snow!

I remember that Dennis's coat was tan and my coat was green.
It's funny how we remember those details.

This is our Kindergarten picture, Fall 1952, age 4. 

Our Kindergarten Class 1952-3, E. E. Morrison School
Miss Aileen Williams was our teacher for the Morning Class.
I'm at the right end of the front row.
Dennis is 3rd from right in the third row.

I'm grateful to Sarah Hoener Shirer for putting together this web site for our grade school.

 I'll share some of my memories from the Primary grades in my next post.

School Souvenir from Old Bosna School

Among the treasured items I found in the box I've been writing about (see my last few posts) are little booklets called "School Souvenirs". I hadn't heard of these before last week, so as I discovered the first one that had belonged to my Grandma Mollie (Koleber) Margheim in 1913, I wrote about it. Last night I found another one that had belonged to my dad's younger brother Alfred Margheim. It's precious to us because Alfred died at the age of 9 in 1933.

Pictured at left is the envelope it was enclosed in.

This is the front cover. I like the quotation: "Education molds the mind For broader life in humankind."

The first page in this photo says: "With the compliments of your teacher, this gift is presented to you, believing that it will grow in value as the years glide by." That certainly proved to be true!

Page 2 offers "Character of a Happy Life" , a poem by Sir Henry Wotton, concluded by this quotation from James Whitcomb Riley: "It's the songs ye sing, and the smiles ye wear That's making the sun shine everywhere. "

Page 3 contains the poem "Beautiful Thoughts" by Leone B. Wienkers. The left side of the Centerfold first offers this advice: "Study To Show Thyself Approved". It is followed by this admonition: "Count that day lost, Whose low descending sun, Views from thy hand, No worthy action done".

The school and class information is finally presented in the centerfold. Old Bosna School, District No. 22, Trego County, Kansas, 1929-1930, Emma Merle Sitz, Teacher

PUPILS: Wilbur Charles Dolezal, Alfred George Margheim (My uncle), Ernest Ludwig Margheim (My dad), Forrest Eugene Zeman, Harold David Zeman, Frank Junior Schmitt, Albert Fred Kvasnicka, Dale Edward Dolezal, Clara Marjorie Dietz, Arvilla Ruby Papes, Julius Dietz, Fern Rose Papes, David Dieta, Crystal Lamberta Reeder, Worley Dorman Reeder

SCHOOL BOARD: Henry F. Dietz, Clerk, John W. Reeder, Director, William Papes, Treasurer; Mrs. Carrie Gregg, County Supt.

Page 6 displays the poem "Memories of School and Home", followed on page 7 by four quotations on the topics of Education, Books, Art, and Music.

The final page in the book offers this wonderful little poem by Medeline Bridges. "For life is the mirror of king and slave. 'Tis just what we are and do; Then give to the world the best you have. And the best will come back to you."

The book was printed by Colonial Printing Co, Mansfield, Ohio

After I discovered and reviewed this beautiful little souvenir booklet, I searched online for a picture of OLD BOSNA SCHOOL. Believe it or not, I found one! It's part of a copyrighted collection owned by photographer Mary Heller and is viewable here: http://tinyurl.com/b35gan I signed her guest book and promptly received a reply from her. As it turns out, she is a family friend of the Reeder family, whom you'll see listed as pupils in this book. We just never know what kind of connections we can make as we explore the histories of things like these little School Souvenir booklets. I think they are precious. It's too bad they aren't part of our school culture today.