Foland School No. 7

Richland Township, Decatur County, Iowa
 
 Michael and Elizabeth (SOWERWINE) FOLAND arrived in Decatur County from Muncie, Indiana in 1856. They made it as far as Dekalb before they and their six children were forced to stop and spend the winter. In the spring, after the birth of their seventh child, the FOLANDS proceeded on to their homestead in Richland Township, approximately 3 miles east of the town of Westerville. They would add three more children to the family.

Interested in the education of his growing number of grandchildren, Michael FOLAND established the Foland School on the southeastern corner of his pasture where the north road intersected with the east-west road going into Westerville.

Mabel DAILEY, a former teacher at the Foland School, wrote in January of 1960, "I became acquainted with the Foland School and its patrons during the Spring Term of 1905. It was one of the few schools at that time that had Spring Terms. Most of the rural schools had just a Fall and Winter Term. . . At that time the schoolhouse was new, large and well-lighted. There was plenty of room for all the little folks and there were many. The spring term was especially for the little folks who could not attend during the cold weather. The patrons were friendly and appreciative. They did all they could to make their school a success. Our only accident during my sojourn in the district was when Opal FOLAND (later Mrs. Mason M. SNETHEN) fell at school and broke her collarbone. It was a sad time and we were all so glad when she was well again."
 
Lists of known Foland School Pupils
 
click on images for larger views
Souvenir
Foland School 1896-1897
Doyle D. Gilreath, Teacher
Directors
W. H. Young, Jr. - President
Albert Brammer Erastus Wadsworth

Pupils
Ella YoungLefa Brammer
Albert SprayDavid Young
Nellie WestNora Young
Laura FolandStella Wycuff
Nettie FinchCarry Young
Arthur FolandGeorge Foland
Ray SmithEpha Munyon
Maud YoungHarry Foland
Ernie FolandNellie Finch
Andrew BohallCharles Acton
Gussie FolandHenry Jimmerson
Fred SprayCreston Finch
George ActonAddie Foland
Rachel SmithEzra Wycuff
Ernest FinchFred Young
Mary SprayOllie Briner
Vester BrinerEarl Edwards
William WadsworthMay Boles
Floyd BolesThurman Spray
Anah JimmersonStella Acton

Foland School 1909
Back Row, L-R: Blanche Boles, Addie Hopkins, teacher Abbie Palmer, Carrie Ward, Gerna Boles, Ruby Grimm.
Third Row, L-R: Homer Foland, Jim Hopkins, Orval Foland, Reese Boles, George Schmitt.
Second Row, L-R: Nile Grimm, Martha Brammer, Belva Foland, Esther Foland, Winona Boles, Edith Grimm, Roy Hopkins, Russel Boles, Vernie Grimm, Homer Hukill.
First Row, L-R: Royal Boles, Willard Hukill, Rolla Brammer, Orma Grimm, Ermell Boles, Clarissa Brammer, Opal Grimm, Eva Foland, Opal Foland, Helen Schmitt.

Foland School, Spring 1912
Back Row, L-R: Russel Boles, Nile Grimm, Jim Hopkins, Homer Foland, Elba Grimm, teacher Mabel Daily, Gerna Boles, Ruby Grimm, Carrie Ward, Gerna Grimm, Iva "Blanche" Boles.
Middle Row, L-R: Roy Hopkins, Vernie Grimm, Belva Foland, Winona Boles, Edith Grimm, Martha Brammer, Esther Foland, Opal Grimm, Blanche Grimm, Opal Foland, Lillian Burns.
Front Row, L-R: Albert Foland, Royal Boles, Ardath Grimm, Earl Grimm, Harold Kirkpatrick, Nolan Foland, Francis Brammer, Rollie Brammer, Marie Foland, Eva Foland, Delma Boles, Orma Grimm, Irene Boles, Ermell Boles

 Souvenir
Liberty School No. 7, 1912-1913
Hettie Euritt, Teacher

School Board
J. A. Burns
Alvia Foland
Emmet Foland
G. W. Grimm
Samuel Foland

Pupils
Blanche BolesRuby Grimm
Gerna BolesEsther Foland
Winona BolesRobert Noble
James HopkinsNile Grimm
Lillians BurnsBlanche Grimm
Opal FolandEva Foland
Opal GrimmRussell Boles
Ermal BolesFred Noble
Albert FolandFrances Brammer
Irene NobleRosamond Ramsey
Irene BolesFerne Grimm
Floyd GrimmMartha Brammer
Belva FolandEdith Grimm
Ivan FolandRoy Hopkins
Dean NobleVernie Grim
Marie FolandRolla Brammer
Nolan FolandOrma Grim
Royal BolesGladys Foland
Neil NobleEarl Grimm
Orpha CooperArdeth Grimm
Delma BolesGrace Hopkins

Foland School, Fall 1919
Back Row, L-R: Grace Hopkins, Lillian Burns, Delma Boles, Rosamond Ramsey, Ruby Woods, Gladys Foland, Ermell Boles, teacher Elmer Dunn, Rollie Brammer, Ardath Grimm, Oral Harger, Lowell Harger, Albert Foland, Earl Grimm.
Third Row, L-R: Wilma Donaldson, Phyllis Ramsey, Hazel Foland, Juanita Jimmerson, Wilma Ramsey, Velma Munyon, Sylvia Brammer, Thelma Foland, Ralph Munyon, Clifford Brammer, Elmer Woods, Verle Harger, Noel Boles.
Second Row, L-R: Cecil Wadsworth, Goldie Brammer, Hazel Ramsey, Inez Grimm, Goldie Woods, Elizabeth Burns, Earl Donaldson, Gordon Munyon, Elbert Jimmerson, Edwin Woods, Percy Gilreath, Mansel Burns, Alva Woods.
Front Row, L-R: Albert Woods, Herman Harger, Raymond Foland, Ernest Harger, Dale Hopkins, Lloyd Jimmerson, Glen Wick, Verl Boles, Zell Boles

Foland School, 1924
1st Row: Woodard Crees, Raymond Gilreath, Herb Foland, Clarence Burchett.
2nd Row: Nellie Harger, Maxine Snyder, Edgar Harger, Sherman Allen.
3rd Row: Mendle Brammer, Rosella Foland, Ruby McKee, Elmer Shields.
4th Row: Frances Day, Harriett Switzer, Howard Shaw, Cloyd Street.
5th Row: Naomi Spray, Bernadine Morrell, Merrill Hall, Clarence Davis.
6th Row: Addie Young, Clarence Bohall, Clifford Pennock, Icea Brown.
7th Row: Harold Burchett, Bernice Foland, Mansel Brammer, Euclid Pence.
Back - teacher Mrs. Helen Scott.

 Foland School, 1928

(can you identify?)		 Foland School, 1929

(can you identify?)

Foland School 1933-34
1. Norma G Foland
2. Robert Jimmerson
3. Goldie Acton
4. teacher, Etola Grimm
other surnames:
Boles, West, Brammer, Acton, Munyon, Jimmerson, Grimm, Tony, Binning, Anderson, Foland

Foland School 1936
The following have been identified as:
1. Norma Foland
2. Maxine Munyon
3. Goldie Acton
4. Norma Jean West
5. Robert Jimmerson
6. Leo McConnell

Foland School, Fall 1941
Bow Row, L-R: Berdena Wadsworth, Alberta Davis, Delphine Davis, Alverta Briner, teacher Bernice Fullerton, Mary Ann Collinson, Irene Collinson.
Front Row, L-R: Charley Davis, Chester Young, Robert Foland, Richard Briner, Richard Street.

Foland School, Spring 1943
L-R: Richard Boles, Robert Brown, Richard Street, Ronald Boles

Foland School, 1943
 Richard Street, Chester Young, Berdena Wadsworth
   
Year unknown
 
Former Foland School Teachers

Mina Madarasz
1879
Elsie (Foland) Boyd
1892, 1893, 1896
Hettie Euritt
1912 - 1913
E. Ray Morell
1918 - 1919

Edith (Beers) Ball
1924-25, 1952-55
Rosamond Ruth Ramsey
1928 - 1932
Irene (Buell) Schwalbe
1932 - 1933
Etola Grimm
1933 - 1934

Hazel Grimm
1934 - 1937
Eileen Jackson
1942 - 1946
Elvera (Johnson) Mullen
1955 - 1958
Complete List of Foland School Teachers
 
A Little Bit O' Music at the Former Foland School

Wesley Schiable
1964

Jim Thaden
1964

Alice Grosser
1966

Tom Ashbaugh
1967

Orley Kilburn
1967

Elbert McAlister
1969

In Concert, 1967

Grand Valley Band, 1967

Grand Valley Band, 1969

Grand Valley Band, 1975

Joseph "Alex" Baer
1972

Bonner Davis Jr.
1974

Gloria Palmer
1975

Myron Swan
1975

Vicki King
1976

Shannon Tritten
1980's

Grand Valley Band
1980

Mike Tritten
1980's
 

The Foland School prior to being moved to Kellerton
Photograph courtesy of Norma G. (Foland) Becker
 
When Iowa discontinued the rural school system, the Foland School closed around the year 1958 after 84 years. Better roads helped with the transportation of rural children into Grand River where they attended school. The Foland School was sold to Grand Valley Community School and was moved to Kellerton. It was located southeast of the gymnasium, on the corner of the school grounds, and served as a music room.

When Grand Valley Community School dissolved in 1992, the school board gave the schoolhouse to the community. It was moved uptown and placed beside city hall. Grand Valley alumni Billy Fifer was in charge of this move, ca. 1995/96.

Billy Fifer Prepares To Move

Foland School on the Move

Foland School Arrives Uptown

During the summer of 2009, Richland Township trustees erected signs designating the original sites of country schoolhouses throughout the township. On August 3rd they placed a sign at the former Foland School location.
 
National Trust for Historic Preservation
July 28, 2010
Last-Minute Grant May Save 1906 School
By Margaret Foster
An Iowa resident trying to save the schoolhouse built by her great-great grandfather won an 11th-hour grant today.

Sharon Becker was told by Kellerton, Iowa, officials that she had until the end of July to raise $15,000 to move the Foland School. She learned today that she had won a $10,000 emergency grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa.

"I am so excited. This has been a long, hard battle," says Becker, who lives in Osceola, Iowa, about 40 minutes away.

The Foland School was built by her maternal great-grandfather, Michael Foland, on one corner of his farm. The family later sold the building to a nearby school district, which used it as a music room before donating it to Kellerton in the 1990s. Filled with historic photographs and other school memorabilia, the building was vandalized several years ago, so the town boarded it up. Last fall, the city council decided to do something about the school, according to city councilmember Janet Holmes.

"It's an upkeep and maintenance problem," Holmes says.

Becker has expressed concern that the council might sell the school site to the owner of an adjacent bar, but Holmes says the council has not made a final ruling on the property.

"There's no decision on what's going to be done with the building if she doesn't get the money," Holmes says.

Becker has raised $3,000 for the Foland School, not including the grant. She still needs to raise $3,000 more, but thinks she can meet that goal.

"I promised my mom, whose great-grandfather built it," Becker says. "When she saw the condition of it last August, I gave her a hug and promised I'd get it restored."
After Daniel Borntrager and his crew did some preservation and restoration work beneath the building, The Foland Schoolhouse was moved once again on June 29, 2011. Daniel and his able crew supervised and completed the move.

Former Site Uptown

On Decatur Street

Tricky Curve Ahead

Coming To The Home Stretch

Almost There

Arrival

Saving A Tree

Squeezing Through
 

Almost Done
   
Photographs courtesy of Dee Euritt and Sharon R. Becker
 
Original page created by Sharon Becker 2013, updated 2015; updated and reformatted by Conni McDaniel Hall Oct 2019.
 
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