~~~~

Although not able to find a lot of information, bits of various news articles provide a little history of the program:

The Rural School Choir was started in the late 1920's by the State of Iowa, as a means to promote music to the county one-room schools. The school teacher was tasked to instruct their students to learn the songs by imitating a phonograph playing the song. The songs were assigned by the state and generally were familiar tunes and patriotic songs. In 1928 there were only 2 counties in the state organizing a choir, and by 1930 there were 62 such rural school choirs. In 1930 an All-Iowa rural school choir composed of more than 4,000 rural school children from the 4th to 8th grades, sang at the State Fair in Des Moines. In 1934 the All-Iowa rural school choir of nearly 10,000 children's voices sang at the music festival during the Iowa State fair. It was estimated that nearly 100 children from each county composed that choir. The choirs frequently sang at 8th grade rural school graduations. ~historical background information was gathered by S. Ferrall

State Rural Choir Honors Go to 287 Rural Pupils in County

Transcribed by Cindy (Maust) Smith

Source: The Allamakee Journal and Lansing Mirror, Wednesday, May 1, 1935, Lansing, Iowa, Page 7

With the closing of rural choir work in Allamakee county schools, Rural Choir awards have been made to 287 pupils for their work in learning to sing the songs under the state plan.

Rural pupils who joined the Rural Choir in their respective schools this year and will receive certificates from Miss Agnes Samuelson, state superintendent of public instruction are:

John Ahlstrom, Jerome Arlien

Helene Baker, Helmer Bakke, Dorothy Barker, Elwyn Barker, Donald Berger, Dolores Bergeson, Betty Bloxham, Keith Bloxham, Adelbert Brainard, Irene Brainard, Orville Brainard, Martina Broderick, Helen Budahl

Dolores Cahalan, Rose Marie Cahalan, Arlene Cahoon, Burgette Cahoon, Wilbur Cahoon, Bobbie Colsch, Clem Colsch, Helen Cunningham

Delpha Decker, Jessie Decker

Loretta Engen

Esther Fuller, Helen Fuller, Lois Fuller

Dorothy Gilson, Lorna Goeke, Ronald Goeke, Ruth Goeke, Della Griffin, Genevieve Griffin

Norma Hagen, Clement Hammell, Esther Hammell, Richard Hammell, Vincent Hammell, Walter Hammell, Jean Hancock, Lorraine Hancock, Norma Hancock, Rita Hancock, Bernice Hansmeier, Helen Hartong, Lorain Hartong, Elmer Heitmann, Gladys Heitmann, Ronald Herman, Lois Hermeier, Olivia Hill, Pauline Horton, Warren Horton

Evelyn Johnson, Norma Johnson, Harriet Jones, Irene Jones

Ruth Kasten, Dorothy Kerndt, Lucille Kerndt, Helen King, Donna Mae Krambeer, Milton Kruse

Bernadette Larkin, Marjorie Leet, Ethel LeHew,, Ralph LeHew, Lorine Lippe, Melvin Long

Joseph Mahr, Arnold Martie, Mary Mauss, Louise May, Walter Mielke, Rosemarie Morch, Marietta Morgan, Glenn Morken, Betty Ann Moore, Robert Moore

Patrick Nagel, Bernice Nelson, Hardy Nelson, Patrick Norton

Arlene O'Brien, Betty O'Brien, Laurayne O'Brien, Lois O'Brien, Norma Olson, Ernest Opheim, Lilahahn Opheim

Hazel Paulsen, Hilda Paulsen, Adah Phipps, Mabel Pixler

Barbara Quandahl, Hazel Quanrude, Vivian Quanrude

Palma Raaen, Gladys Ranzenberger, Ruby Ranzenberger, Jerome Renk

Dorothy Saewert, Sophie Sandbeck, Gladys Sawvell, Leroy Sawvell, Ruby Sawvell, Burton Schlein, Hilda Schlein, William Schlein, Alfred Schlitter, Delores Schlitter, Edna Schlitter, Marjorie Schlitter, Melvin Schlitter, Clara Schmidt, Norma Schmidt, Donald Schon, Kenneth Schulte, John Schulte, Calvin Shindall, Arlene Shogren, Norma Sieg, Merlin Snitker, Walter Steffenson, LaVon Swenson, Verdon Swenson

Ruth Thoma, Wesley Thoma

Donald VanHorn, Lester Vongraven

Helen Walsh, Lorraine Walsh, Mary Walsh, Lawrence Ward, George Waters, James Waters, Lorraine Welch, Juline Wenig, Fred (?) Weymiller, Lorna Weymiller, Julia Whalen, Mabel Wiemerslage, Arlene Wild, Marc Wilder, Harriet Wirth
Bernadine Zimfer, Anna Mae Zoll, Helen Zoll

Rural pupils who joined the Rural Choir previous to this year
and who will receive stars from Miss Samuelson, are as follows:

Arthur Augedahl, Gertrude Arlien

Gertrude Ball, Dorothy Barr, Norma Barr, Bernice Bauman, Lorraine Beardmore, Shirley Beardmore, Ralph Becker, Ursula Becker, Harold Bemberg, Dorothy Beneke, Howard Bergeson, Melius Bergeson, Richard Bergeson, Helen Bergh, Jeanne Bloxham, Mildred Brandsmeier, Virlyn Bue, Sophie Buerger

Roy Cahalan, Ruth Cahalan, Harlan Chamberlain, Leroy Colsch, Charles Cook, Dorothy Cunningham

Calvin DeBuhr, Ethel DeBuhr, Jean Delaney, Marion Dunning, Margaret Duvel

Harold Ellingson, Hartley Enyart

Bernice Fossum, Eleanor Fossum, Raymond Fuller

Gertrude Gallagher, Marie Gallagher, Margaret Gelo, Marian Gelo, Eleanor Geving, Caryl Gilson, Lucille Gunderson

Earl Hammell, Lorraine Hammell, Mary Hammell, Ruth Hansmeier, Carol Hanson, Cynthia Hanson, Hilford Hanson, Lela Heim, Irvin Henning, Marion Herman, Pauline Hertrampf, Irma Hesse, Mary Margaret Howe

Ruth Iseli

Mildred Johnson

Warren Kerndt, Alfred Kruger, Amos Kruger, Benjamin Kruger, Donald Kruger, Merlin Kruger, Ruth Krumme, Norma Kruse, Jean Kugel, Ruth Kugel

Michael Larkin, Julia Lasseson, John Lenz, Fernette Luster, Mary Lyons

Madelyn Mahr, Mabel McCabe, Evelyn Meyer, Harlan Mielke, Emmons Moen, LaVon Monroe, Arnold Moore, Leo Moore Leo Morstad, Philip Morstad

Thomas Nagel, Lyle Nelson, Elvis Nipper, Vivian Nipper

Francis Plein, Gwendolyn Prestemon, Marie Prestemon

Helen Regan, Joseph Regan, Margaret Reinhardt, Vivian Reinhardt, George Rooney, Charles Ryan, Norman Russell, Leo Ryan

Arla Sandbeck, Dorothy Schoental, Angella Schulte, Anna Schulte, James Schulte, Lucille Schulte, Marcella Schulte, Fern Seitz, Bernice Shafer, Eva Ruth Sickels, Viola Smith, Florence Snitker, Gertrude Snitker, Marion Snitker, Rebecca Snitker, Robert Snitker, Roland Snitker, Shirley Steiner, Ella Mae Stock, Robert Stuckman

Phyllis Thompson, Walter Troendle

Crystal VanHorn, William VanHorn

Dorothy Walsh, Hazel Walsh, Delores Weber, Lawrence Weber, Charlene Webster, Dorothy Welper, Delores Whalen, Lorna Winke, Marjorie Winkie