Ok, This School was really in Kansas

Here is a picture of those of us who went to East 10 in 1955. This was before it was moved over to Hiway 27. It was located 2 miles east of Hiway 27 on what is now called Road Bb. Mrs. Emma Burrell was the teacher. She lived with her husband in a small trailer house that sat on the west side of the building. They drove a 1952 turquoise Studebaker.

There was a cistern with a hand pump in the front yard of the school which was filled a couple of times during the school year. This is where we got our drinking water. Can you believe we didn't all DIE from the germs we must have spread to each other and there were probably snakes and mice in that cistern!

There was a swing set, teeter totters and a slide in the school yard, but most of the time we played Pom Pom Pull Away, Annie Annie Over, Football, Softball, Kickball, Fox & Geese, Hop Scotch or Dare Base. We all got really good at jumping rope and had little "chants" we would say as we jumped. Once in awhile we played Hide and Seek if the corn in the field next to the school was tall enough. There weren't too many places to hide, unless you hid behind one of the two outside toilets or in the road ditch under the tumble weeds.

The school had a telephone, but it was rarely used. It was on the partyline along with several of the neighbors. It was one of those big brown wooden boxes with an ear piece you took off the hook to open up the line. There was a crank handle on the right side that you had to wind in a sequence of shorts and longs, depending on who you were calling; then you had to yell into the mouth piece in order to be heard above the buzz on the line. Our home ring was two longs and a short. Everyone along the partyline could hear your phone ring and most would "rubberneck" and listen to other people's conversations.

The school was warmed by a gas stove that resided in the north end of the room. I can't remember being cold, but it must not have done a great job on really cold windy days.

There were a couple of times when the day was too nice to stay inside and Mrs. Burrell took us "Arrowhead Hunting". I got hooked on this activity and hunted for arrowheads whenever I was out in the fields during the summer driving the tractor. I didn't ever find many, but there actually were a few pieces of flint that looked like they could have been.... Anyway I always wished I could find some.

We lived 2 1/2 miles east of the school, on the farm where Steve and Tammy Workman live now, and most of the time Mamma would come and pick us up at 3:30 when school let out, but sometimes, if it was nice, we would catch a ride partway with someone and walk the rest of the way. When I tell my grandkids that I walked uphill to school - BOTH WAYS - I was telling the TRUTH. That 2 1/2 miles up and down those hills was a long WAY!!

We always had a Christmas Program before school let out for the the holidays. It was exciting to get ready for it and trade names and buy presents for each other. One year Mrs. Burrell gave us all glass piggy banks. I still have mine.

The schoolhouse was used for other things besides school. I can remember some community meetings and parties that were always alot of fun. One summer there were some "2 by 2" preachers who had meetings there. I don't know why we called them 2 by 2, unless it was because there were two of them. Most of the people in the community were either Luthern or Methodist, except for us. We were Seventh-day Adventist and sometimes felt "different", but don't remember anyone really caring about the difference in religion.

I hope I get the names right. If not, please let me know.

Left back row:
Leone Gregory (8th Grade), Alan Zuege (6th Grade), Albert Zuege (6th Grade), Calvin Zuege (8th Grade), Johnny Terry (6th Grade)

Front Row:
Alfred Zuege (5th Grade), Sherri Faylor (1st Grade), Sherri Gregory (5th Grade), Dick Gregory (5th Grade), Bonnie Zuege (3rd Grade).

Emma Burrell was the teacher.

I think there may be some people missing from this picture... or maybe they attended after this. Other people who went to school there during the years I did were Yvonne Faylor, Eunice Gregory, Sylvia, Velma Jean, Janet, Eddie, Gary and Louise Zuege, Mary Rose, Alvin Wall, Louella and Harry Straub, Leah Gregory and Almeda Bier.

It would be very interesting to hear what everyone is doing now!