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Teachers Who Will Miss Those Old One Roomers

Times Democrat

Sunday, May 31, 1970

Geneseo Ill- Time was when the one room schoolhouse was a true symbol of America’s

Freedom to learn, freedom to grow. Now it is the end of an era.-a time bypassed by busses and big schools and new ways of learning.

Flags still fly over Wildermuth and Munson Center, the last two one-room country schoolhouses in the Geneseo Unit School District228 but they will close their doors on June 1. And when the last bell sounds it will mean the end of all one room schools in Henry County. Some folks get lumps in their throats thinking about it. That’s because they remember so much.

They remember Miss Shoemaker, who has taught 21 years at Wildermith and Mrs. Finniecun who had taught 12 years at Munson. They remember the old school picnics with the younger children enjoying the fun and games while the older ones helped with the pot-luck dinner.After dinner everyone joined in for a roaring baseball game.To end off it was lemonade, ice cream and cake.

At Wildermuth School Miss Hazel Shoemaker is conducting class as usual but you can sense the sadness. Four generations have attended school there dating back to 80 years. In the county when the parents and the teachers meet, it’s not a PTA, it’s a Community Club. These people have known and shared each others good times and troubled times. Mothers put on a show then the children perform in a play.Grandparents came to watch.Usually both of them went to school there. Miss Shoemaker remarked “When I first came to Wildermuth to teach it did have indoor plumbing but it was chemical.Otherwise it hasn’t changed much. At the time it was for eight grades but now it is for first second and third.”

“ I have many memories of this school. Like the winter of 1860 when I was snowbound with three little boys, it snowed all day and the roads were impassible.” I spent most of the afternoon on the phone talking to the superintendent of schools trying to figure a way to get us out of here.” The boys weren’t the least bit worried. A big truck finally got here and we climbed in. I was terribly relived but it took two more hours to get to the highway.”

Does she remember her first class? “ I was pretty nervous, being just 19 years old.The first day I introduced myself to the children as Miss Shoemaker. One little boy-who is gorwn up now and has children of his own – kept looking at me. Finally I asked him what was the matter? He said “ Do you really make shoes?”

That first year Miss Shoemaker started the Busy Bee Club and a mascot always hangs somewhere in the room. All students belong, for it’s a citizenship club. Through the club the children decide what to do, how to plan their day. Officers were elected, duties are changed every two weeks. Dues are three cents for every meeting. The pledge of allegiance is said, music programs are planned, plays are chosen, library helpers are elected. The children learn to plan and execute each days duties. At the Munson Center School, which also was first, second and third grades, Mrs. Emery (Catharine) Finnicum,Silvis, teaches with an easy relaxed air.

“ I wasn’t always so relaxed” Mrs. Finnicum says “Like the time we were all sitting around on the grass eating lunch just as we always did Suddenly the ground opened up and swallowed Tommy Swigger, a second grader.

“ I looked down and told Tommy to grab the sides and hold perfectly still. Then I had everone racing to get the jump ropes, which we tied together. Tommy was pretty dirty, but we got him out. No one remembered a well in tha area and it had no doubt been filled but no one knew when.

The Munson School was dedicated in ’32. The original school was about a mile away.An early settler, Major. James Allan wanted to locate the school in the center of Henry County so he started at a surveyors mark and stepped off the distance westward to what he believed was the center of the county. He over-estimated however, and walked 5,000 feet too far. For that reason the present school is a mile from the original. The town of Richmond grew up around that original school., the the entire town burned down.

Many educators feel that the county should return to all of the advantages of the one room schoolhouse. “Putting the three grades together helps the younger ones advance.” Miss Shoemaker said. “Some states like New York are starting what they call the “family unit” in teaching. That’s exactly what we’ve had here for 21 years. The younger ones listen and it’s a challenge to do and learn what the older children are doing. It is the best motivator you could find. They enjoy it and learn faster. It’s unlikely the children will get the same kind of nature lessons when they move on to bigger schools. They were on the lawn with a rabbit hutch they built for an orphaned rabbit. Each child learned to handle the rabbit gently. Inside they had aquired a new toad. “We got all kinds of animals in the country.” Miss Shomaker explained.

What will the two teachers do? Miss Sheomaker will go to Howard School, a rural school that has four teachers. “It won’t be the same.” She said “This was my school.”

Mrs. Finnicum will teach at the new Milikin School in Geneseo. “ Do you know that in town they give you a whole hour away from your boys and girls for lunch?” Here we eat together. The noon hour with the children is the way it should be.”

Submitted by Robin Pardus

Illinois Ancestors

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