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Teaching at Lenroot

My first two years of teaching were in the country at Lenroot School in the Town of Wausau. I had 39 pupils in all 8 grades. It was a hard year for me, as I was really a greenhorn. In fact, the first few days of school, I was so confused with so many classes that I was asking the children what to do.

Having only a quarter mile to walk to my boarding place, I spent long hours at school after the children left. On my way home, I would throw my sandwiches from lunch in the ditch, hoping some little animals would find them and eat them. I had been too upset to eat them, and thought I'd better not bring them home or my landlady would think I was sick.

Later in the year, darkness came earlier and I had to have a light to do my work. Not having electricity, I either had to light the Aladdin gas lamp or a kerosene lantern. Being afraid of the Aladdin lamp, I settled for the kerosene lantern. With that on my desk, I would correct papers and do my other work until supper time. Today, with all that is going on, I'd be afraid to stay there along after dark.

After school each day, two of the older girls would sweep the floor for me, and some of the older boys carried in wood for the next day. However, in the morning, I had to be on deck to start the fire and get the school warm before the children arrived. Since

the building was not insulated, the fire had to be started early. We had many good times and I have happy memories of those two years. Christmas programs were fun as well as the afternoon sledding parties and the evening play rehearsals with the young adults in the district. We had box socials and pie socials that brought the neighborhood together. The picnic at the end of the year was always a big event. The entire social life of the neighborhood revolved around these school activities.

After my first month, I received my first paycheck of $85.00. Besides paying for my room and board, I bought a typewriter for myself, which I still have, and a watch for Mother. She had never had one and I felt rich! Then my money was gone, and I had to work another month before getting another check.

When the end of the first year came, the question also came up as to whether my contract would be renewed. As I met with my school board, which consisted of three men, one of them asked me if I thought I needed a raise for the next year. Having been taught to not be greedy, I meekly replied, "No, I am satisfied with what I'm getting." I didn't get a raise either. I probably would have if I had answered that question differently.

Many years later, in 1980, when I retired from teaching, I cleaned out my files and came across some of the nicer decorations some of the children from this first school had made. Not wanting to just throw them away, I decided to look up these girls. One of them was now the manager of West Park Fashions in Wausau, and another one worked at the front desk of the Hoffman House. Just for old times sake, I returned these decorations, which were now 40 years old, to them. It is hard to say if this was a bigger thrill for me or for the recipients, but they were extremely happy and were going to show them to their children.

Since this time, I have met many of my former pupils, and because I have always taught in this area, I have had many of their children in my classes. This has always been a thrill to me, as it seemed to me that I already knew them, having established a rapport with their parents.