Wales Lincoln Alumni Assoc

WALES-LINCOLN
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Wales-Lincoln Alumni Association

THE END OF AN ERA

by ELEANOR (THOMAS) (MRS. HAROLD) JENKINS - class of '36

AT THE WALES-LINCOLN ALUMNI BANQUET, JUNE 5, 1970
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END. THIS IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO OUR GOOD OLD WALES SCHOOL. IT IS THE END OF AN ERA! NEXT FALL, ALL PUPILS FROM THE WALES DISTRICT WILL BE BUSSED TO RED OAK. TEN YEARS AGO, IN THE FALL OF 1960, THE WALES JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE SENT INTO RED OAK DUE TO REORGANIZATION. WE MAINTAINED THE GRADE SCHOOL BUT LOST THE SIXTH GRADE TWO YEARS AGO; THEN LAST YEAR THE FIFTH GRADE WAS SENT ON * * * BUT NOW THE DOORS WILL NOT OPEN AGAIN TO THE SMILING FACES OF THE WALES STUDENTS.

THE FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE IN WALES WAS A LITTLE ONE ROOM BUILDING BUILT IN 1876. THIS BUILDING WAS IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE PRESENT SCHOOL YEAD NEAR THE ROAD. A SMALL COAL SHED WAS JUST WEST OF IT.

PROGRESS FORCED A CHANGE FROM THE ON ROOM BUILDING, AND CONSOLIDATION WAS CONSIDERED AND DISCUSSED AMONG THE RESIDENTS. MEETINGS WERE HELD; OF COURSE, THE CONSOLIDATION WAS NOT WITHOUT STRIFE. THERE WAS THE RENDERING OF HEARTS, AND IT CAUSED MUCH HEATED CONTROVERSY. AFTER THE UNSUCCESSFUL VOTE, THE BOND ISSUE WAS SET FOR $25,000 ---- ELECTION DAY BROUGHT A GOOD TURNOUT -- IT CARRIED BY ONE VOTE!

THE CONTRACTORS MOVED IN AND STARTED BUILDING; THIS WAS IN 1917. IN VISITING WITH MOST ANYONE ABOUT THE SCHOOL,YOU CAN HEAR SOME PRETTY GOOD STORIES THAT ARE MEMORIES TO EACH ONE. I'VE DECIDED "KIDS ARE KIDS" WHETHER IT IS TODAY OR BACK IN 1917. i WAS TOLD ONE STORY -- THE CONTRACTORS WERE SLEEPING IN THE OLD SCHOOL BUILDING. THE BELL HAD COME FOR THE SCHOOL, SO SOME OF THE BIG BOYS SLIPPED UP ONE NIGHT, PUT A LITTLE WIRE ON THE BELL, TIED A TWINE TO IT, AND STRUNG IT OVER BY THE STORE. THEN THEY'D PULL THE TWINE, RING THE BELL, AND THIS WOULD BRING THE CONTRACTORS OUT LOOKING FOR THE PRANKSTERS. OF COURSE, THEY WERE WELL HIDDEN IN THE WEEDS.

SCHOOL WAS OPENED IN 1918, WITH A MR. CLARENCE STEWART AS SUPERINTENDENT. THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS, A CLASS OF THREE, EMMA JOHNSON VANNAUSDALE, LAVERNE JONES, AND DOROTHY VIDSTEDT, GRADUATED IN 1921. FOUR SCHOOL BUSES WENT OUT FROM WALES; THIS IS A VERY LOGICAL AS THERE ARE ONLY FOUR DIRECTIONS. THEY WERE A FAR CRY FROM THE BUSES THAT ARE NOW USED. THE FIRST YEAR OR TWO THE BUSES WERE OLD HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES, THEN THE "UP-TO-DATE" SCHOOL BUSES. - AMOUNG THESE WERE THE OLD G.W.W.'S. I'M NOT SURE THERE WERE EVEN SPRINGS IN THE BUS I RODE, BUT THEY COULD PULL THROUGHT SOME PRETTY DEEP MUD; THE SEATS WERE LENGTH-WISE WITH THE BUS; WE SAT FACING EACH OTHER. I SAY "SAT", THAT IS, IF YOU WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET A SEAT, AS THEY ALWAYS CARRIED MORE THAN A CAPACITY LOAD. ALL WHO DIDN'T GET A SEAT STOOD IN THE MIDDLE AISLE AND HUNG ON TO A ROPE NEAR THE CEILING THAT EXTENDED THE LENGTH OF THE BUS; AND THAT WASN'T VERY EASY HANGING ON, SO THAT OL' BUS WOULD SWING BACK AND FORTH IN THE DEEP MUDDY RUTS! HAROLD AND I RODE THE SAME BUS ALL THOSE YEARS, BUT YOU KNOW HE NEVER GAVE ME HIS SEAT, NOR DID HE EVER SAVE ME ONE! --- THE HEATER WORKED WELL (?!) THE HEAT CAME FROM THE EXHAUST PIPES THAT RAN UNDER THE SEATS.

WHEN THE BUILDING WAS BUILT, THE OLD SCHOOL WAS MOVED JUST WEST OF THE NEW BUILDING AND WAS USED FOR A BUS BARN. IT BURNED DOWN IN JANUARY 1931, AND WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW BRICK BUILDING BUILT MUCH FARTHER TO THE WEST. IT WAS A BUILDING WE WERE ALL PROUD OF. THE OLD BUILDING WAS COVERED WITH $500.00 INSURANCE BUT NOTHING ON THE CONTENTS.

THE SUPERINTENDENTS WHO SERVED AT WALES FROM 1918 UNTIL CLOSING IN 1960 WERE CLARENCE STEWART, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, FOLLOWED BY BENJAMIN HAROFF, C. A. MOYER, F. O. HOFFMAN, E.C, GROGORY, R. I. GARY HALE, J.I. HARKNESS, CLIFFORD VESTAL, EVERETT FULLER, HORACE WALTZ, RAYMOND JENSEN, AND ONCE AGAIN, HORACE WALTZ.

THE WALES STORE WAS ALMOST A PART OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. CLARENCE WEDELL, THE PRINCE OF WALES, LIVES IN THE HEART OF EVERY STUDENT WHO ATTENDED SCHOOL DURING HIS TIME. BEING ON THE SAME COUNTY TELEPHONE LINE AS THE WALES STORE, I CAN WELL REMEMBER THAT FROM ABOUT 3:00 TO 4:00 IN THE P.M. HOW THEIR PHONE WOULD RING. MOTHERS WOULD CALL AND PLACE AN ORDER, PROBABLY NEEDED A LOAF OF BREAD FOR SUPPER, OR A BOX OF OATMEAL FOR BREAKFAST THE NEXT MORNING. THE ORDERS WERE FILLED AND PLACE ON THE COUNTER, AND THE BUS DRIVERS FAITHFULLY PICKED UP THE ORDERS AND HANDED IT TO THE PROPER CHILD AS HE GOT OFF THE BUS. ON A NIGHT OF SCHOOL ACTIVITY THE STORE WAS NEVER CLOSED UNTIL EVERY ONE HAD GONE HOME.

AFTER R.C.A. OR ANY PROGRAM, PEOPLE CONGREGATED AT THE STORE FOR A CHAT BEFORE GOING TO THEIR RESPECTIVE HOMES. DURING BASKETBALL SEASON WHEN THE TEAMS WERE PLAYING AWAY FROM HOME, PARENTS KNEW THERE WAS A WARM PLACE FOR THEM TO STAY WHILE THEY WERE WAITING FOR THE BUS TO RETURN. CLARENCE NEVER LOCKED THE DOOR NOR TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS UNTIL VERY PLAYER HAD A PLACE TO STAY FOR THE NIGHT.

WHEN A SNOW STORM WAS RAGING IN THE MORNING ABOUT BUS TIME, AND WE WONDERED IF THERE WOULD BE SCHOOL, THERE WAS NO SERVICE FROM KMA; INSTEAD EVERYONE CALLED THE WALES STORE AND SAID, "IS THERE GOING TO BE SHOOL TODAY?" CLARENCE, OR ONE OF THE OTHERS HAD THE ANSWER.

THE TEACHERS IN THOSE DAYS DID NOT COMMUTE FROM RED OAK BUT STAYED IN HOMES IN WALES. WALES HAD NO CAFE NOR COFFEE SHOP, SO IT WAS SOMEONE'S JOB TO 'BOARD THE TEACHERS'. FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS MRS. ALEX ROSS FED THEM, 25 CENTS A MEAL. ALEX WAS THE SCHOOL JANITOR. MRS. GEORGE JONES, KNOWN AS MANY AS JUST 'OSHEL' ALSO HAD HER TURN CARING FOR THE TEACHERS.

IN THOSE DAYS PEOPLE HAD TIME TO ENTERTAIN THE TEACHERS IN THEIR HOMES. IT WAS A TREAT, AT LEAST TO THE YOUNGSTER, ON A NIGHT WHEN THE TEACHER WOULD RIDE HOME ON THE BUS TOO, HAVE SUPPER WITH THE FAMILY, AND THEN BE TAKEN BACK TO WALES LATER IN THE EVENING.

IN 1932 THE TEACHERS' SALARIES WERE IN THE RANGE OF $80 TO $90 PER MONTH, BUT IN 1933 THEY WERE FORCED TO TAKE A CUT IN WAGE, MAKING IT $60 TO $65 PER MONTH.

ON EVENING OF NOVEMBER 17, 1936,THE BONDS FOR THE SCHOOL WERE BURNED. A PROGRAM WAS HELD IN THE OLD ASSEMBLY ROOM ON THE SECOND FLOOR, AND THE BONDS WERE BURNED AT THAT TIME. NOW THE DISTRICT WAS DEBT FREE.

ALONG CAME THE FAMOUS WINTER OF 1936, WHEN THE SCHOOL WAS FORCED TO BE CLOSED FOR A MONTH. ON THE 30TH DAY OF JANUARY, SCHOOL WAS DISMISSED AT NOON, DUE TO THE DRIFTING SNOW. TWO WEEKS LATER THE DRIFTS WERE HIGHER, AND KEPT GETTING HIGHER, SO ON THE 11TH OF FEBRUARY THE PIPES WERE DRAINED AND THE TEACHERS WENT HOME. THERE WERE BETTER DAYS -- BY MARCH 2ND SCHOOL RESUMED BUT ONLY FOR THE ONES WHO COULD MAKE IT. THE RULE WAS, " FURNISH YOUR OWN TRANSPORATION -- GET HERE IF YOU CAN". SOME WALKED, SOME RODE HORSEBACK; MANY OF THE NEIGHBORS TOOK TURNS BRINGING A LOAD WITH THEIR TEAM AND WAGON, OR A CARRIAGE OF SOME SORT. IN ORDER TO MAKE UP WORK, WE ATTENDED SCHOOL ON SATURDAYS, BUT SCHOOL WAS OUT LATE THAT YEAR. THE LAST DAY WAS JUNE 5TH.

FELIX NETCELL WAS ALMOST A PERMANENT FIXTURE WITH THE SCHOOL BUSES -- HE DROVE FOR 32 CONSECUTIVE YEARS AND WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. I'M SURE HE MUST HAVE BEEN PULLED OUT OF A DITCH A FEW TIMES, AS IT WAS NOTHING UNUSUAL ON A MUDDY DAY FOR A BUS TO PULL IN LATE AS IT HAD BEEN STUCK OR HAD BEEN IN A DITCH.

WALES INCLUDED A VARIETY OF EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN WHICH ANYONE INTERESTED COULD PARTICIPATE. FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, WE HAD ENTRIES IN THE TRACK MEETS WHICH WERE HELD EVERY YEAR AT ELLIOTT. ONE YEAR HAZEL JONES AND DOROTHEY JONES WERE RUNNERS FOR WALES.

THERE WAS ALWAYS BOYS AND GIRLS BASKETBALL, DATING BACK TO THE TIME WHEN THE GIRLS DIDN'T WEAR TRUNKS, BUT INSTEAD WORE LONG BACK BLOOMERS, AND BELIEVE ME, "BELOW THE KNEE, NOT ABOVE" AND THE BLOUSES WITH THEM WERE NOT BRIEF.

BASEBALL, TOO, WAS SOMETHING THAT WALES TEAMS EXCELLED AT. THERE WERE MANY WINNING TEAMS BUT ONE MOST REMEMBERED WAS IN 1937 WHEN WALES WON THE DISTRICT TOURNAMENT AND MOVED TO THE STATE WHERE THEY WERE BEATEN BY BURLINGTON.

FOR A FEW YEARS THERE WAS MUCH INTEREST IN DECLAMATORY WORK. AMONG THE COACHES WERE MARIE SCHUTZ, JOSEPHINE JACKSON, AND HELEN MARGARET LARSON.

THE FIRST YEAR FOR BAND WAS IN 1936, AND THIS WAS STARTED BY RICHARD SUCHER FOLLOWED BY OLIVER WARE, AND BY 1940 AND 1941 THERE WERE SOME STATE WINNERS UNDER HELEN LARSON. MISS LARSON DID A LOT OF PRACTICING WITH THIS GROUP TRYING TO MAKE THEM A MARCHING BAND, MARCHING THEM IN THE PASTURE WEST OF WHERE WARD JONES' HOME SETS. SHE FINALLY GAVE UP AND CALLED THEM A CONCERT BAND! THEY RATED A 'SUPERIOR' FOR A CLASS D SCHOOL AT COUNCIL BLUFFS IN 1942. ALONG WITH THIS THERE WAS MUCH INTEREST IN VOCAL MUSIC.

MANY A CLASS PLAY, OPERETTA, MUSICAL, AND OTHER PROGRAMS WERE PRESENTED IN THE OLD ASSEMBLY, AND MANY TIMES TO AN OVER- FLOWING CROWD. EVERY JUNIOR AND SENIOR CLASS PRESENTED ITS OWN PLAY. SOME TIME THROUGH SCHOOL EVERY STUDENT HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF PERFORMING BEFORE AN AUDIENCE.

THE FIRST TROPHY, A LOVING CUP, PRESENTED TO THE WALES SCHOOL WAS WON IN 1930 BY THE BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM FOR WINNING THE CONSOLATION GAME OF THE COUNTY TOURNAMENT. THE FIRST TROPHY TO BE WON BY A GIRLS' TEAM WAS IN 1933 FOR WINNING THE COUNTY TOURNMENT -- THIS TEAM WAS COACHED BY RUTH DOUGHERTY JONES. MARIE SCHUTZ FOLLOWED HER AS A COACH, WINNING SEVERAL CONSECUTIVE COUNTY TOURNAMENTS.

EVERETT FULLER, DEAR TO THE HEARTS OF ALL OF HIS STUDENTS, CAME TO WALES IN MARCH 1943, TO BE THE SUPERINTENDENT AND COACH, HE WAS REPLACING CLIFFORD VESTAL WHO HAD ANSWERED THE CALL OF HIS COUNTRY. MR. VESTAL HAD BEEN AT WALES SINCE 1929, SERVING FIRST AS PRINCIPAL THEN LATER AS SUPERINTENDENT.

THE WALES COMMUNITY WAS KNOWN FOR ITS STRONG INTEREST IN BASKETBALL AND NOW THERE WAS A GREAT DESIRE FOR A NEW GYMNASIUM. A BOND WAS ISSUED FOR THE SUM OF $40,000. THE ELECTION WAS HELD IN APRIL 1946, WITH 172 VOTES CAST -- 147 YES, 22 NO, AND 3 SPOILED. THE GYM WAS BUILT IN 1948.

IN 1950 THE HOT LUNCH PROGRAM WAS STARTED. IT WAS MADE POSSIBLE WITH SOME GOVERNMENT AID AND THE HELP OF MOTHERS. SEVERAL CANASTA PARTIES WERE HELD IN THE GYM FOR THE PURPOSE OF RAISING MONEY FOR EQUIPMENT. SOME CANNING WAS DONE BY THE MOTHERS, AND FOR SEVERAL YEARS EACH MOTHER WAS EXPECTED TO SEND ONE DRESSED CHICKEN FOR EACH CHILD IN SCHOOL.

AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WAS THE ATHLETIC BANQUET SERVED IN THE GYM BY THE MOTHERS. EACH BOY OR GIRL WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES ATTENDED, AND THE DADS WERE ALWAYS THE GUESTS.

THEN CAME THE BASKETBALL SEASON OF 1948, WHICH MADE EVERYONE PROUD TO SAY WE WERE FROM WALES-LINCOLN. FOR THE FIRST TIME, WALES HAD EARNED A PLACE IN THE STATE TOURNAMENT. THE GIRLS, COACHED BY EVERETT FULLER DEFEATED FARRAGUT BY TWO POINTS ON THE MACEDONIA FLOOR. WALES AND COMMUNITY WERE VACATED THAT NIGHT - EVERYONE WAS IN MACEDONIA! THE GIRLS WOULD HAVE HAD A GOOD FOLLOWING TO DES MOINES, BUT ONE OF THE ANNUAL "GIRLS STATE TOURNAMENT SNOW STORMS" FORCED MANY TO STAY HOME. WE WERE PROUD OF THEM WHEN THEY WERE DEFEATED BY ONLY ONE POINT BY WELLSBURG.

THE BOYS TEAM COACHED BY MR. FULLER WON THEIR WAY TO THE STATE TOURNAMENT AT IOWA CITY IN 1952. THEY HAD DEFEATED BLENCOE AT ATLANTIC. THEY LOST THEIR FIRST TOURNAMENT GAME, A WELL-PLAYED GAME TO SPENCER, A TEAM OF TALL BOYS. OUR BOYS RETURNED TO IOWA CITY FOR A STATE BID IN 1954 COACHED BY GENE EVANS. THEY, TOO, LOST THEIR FIRST GAME BY TWO POINTS TO WHEATLAND.

IN 1960, THE LAST YEAR FOR WALES-LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL, OUR CRY AGAIN WAS, "DES MOINES, HERE WE COME" ---- OUR GIRLS FOUGHT THROUGH A THRILLER WINNING FROM MALVERN BY ONE POINT". TOM CANNON WAS THE COACH.

I'M SURE MANY OF YOU, TOO, HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF VISITING WITH SOMEONE WITH WHOM YOU WERE NOT ACQUAINTED, AND WHEN YOU WOULD TELL THEM YOU WERE FROM WALES, GENERALLY THEY'D ANSWER, "OH, THAT IS WHERE THEY ALWAYS HAD THE GOOD BASKETBALL TEAMS'. THESE TEAMS REALLY PLACED WALES-LINCOLN ON THE MAP!

THE FIRST ALUMNI BANQUET WAS HELD IN 1931 AND WAS SPONSORED BY THE GRADUATING CLASS OF THAT YEAR WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF CLIFFORD VESTAL. THANKS TO THEM, FOR WE'VE HAD MANY GOOD BANQUETS AND REUNIONS SINCE THAT TIME.

WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN OUR SCHOOL ---FOR WHAT IT WAS, WHAT WE GAINED FROM IT, AND FOR THE MANY GOOD CITIZENS THAT HAVE GONE ON AND CAN PROUDLY SAY THEY GRADUATED FROM WALES-LINCOLN. THERE MAY NOT NOW BE A WALES-LINCOLN SCHOOL, BUT THE TREASURED MEMORIES WE CHERISH WILL AWAYS BE A PART OF US.