Iowa
Old Press
Sioux City Journal, Sunday, January 12, 1941
ANNIVERSARY of “BIG BLIZZARD” Recalls Story of How Teacher at Akron Saved Lives of Her Pupils
AKRON, IA.—Special: How a rural school teachers saved the lives of several pupils years ago is a favorite story in the Akron area when January 12, the anniversary of the great blizzard of 1888, comes around. The teacher was the former Edith Hall of Akron, now Mrs. Edith L. Abeel of Alcestor, S.D.—The story of two pupils of Mrs. Abeel, who taught at the Mount Hope school three miles northwest of Akron, who became lost in that blizzard but “used their head as well as their feet” and survived bears testimony of the efficiency of the teacher.
There were about 15 pupils present at the Mount Hope school the day of the great blizzard. The day was clear and the sun shone brightly until about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, when the sky grew dark, snow began to fall and wind, rising suddenly, soon reached gale proportions. The teacher warned her pupils to remain in the building. The fuel bin at the school held only a small amount of siftings. The school board had ordered coal which was to have been delivered the following day.
Despite the warnings of the teacher, three boys left for their homes. Henry Smith, now living in Akron, arrived safely at his home. The other two boys, Henry Sholberg, now a banker in Akron, and Andrew Anderson became lost in the blizzard. Wandering in the storm, the two boys struck a narrow strip of plowed ground. They knew that in the area there was only one farmer who had plowed his ground that Fall and following the strip soon saw a light glimmering from a window. The boys were given refuge in the home of Thurston Squires, now deceased.
During the night George Waterbury got through to the school, using a team and bobsled. He had come for his children. The horses were brought into the entryway of the school, where they spent the night and Mr. Waterbury helped the teacher in singing songs and otherwise entertaining the children.
Beds for the children were made on the hard school benches and coats served as covers. The coal dust in the the bin went into the large stove along with pieces of furniture that had been broken up and whatever other wood that could be taken from the building without admitting the freezing blasts of the blizzard.
When morning came the weather had cleared and worried parents arrived at the school to find their children safe.
Mrs. Abeel attended Elk Point high school and the University of South Dakota at Vermillion. At Mount Hope school, she organized the first Sunday school in that area. She was the wife of O. A. Abel, president of the First National bank of Beresford, S.D., at the time of his death in 1916.
[NOTE Included with this newspaper article there is also a LARGE photograph—identified as:]
Shown above is a reproduction of a picture, taken many years ago, of pupils of the Mount Hope school near Akron who were caught in the famous blizzard of 1888. Most of the pupils stayed in the school building overnight but three left despite the teacher’s warnings. One reached home safely but the other two became lost. They finally reached a farm home where they were given shelter. All those in the picture cannot be identified.
In the back row, left to right are Andrew Anderson, James Carpenter, Clarence Waterbury, Daniel Smith, Edith Hall (the teacher who is now Mrs. Edith Abeel), Carrie Haynes, Martha Bonney and Erving Waterbury.
In the second row, left to right, are a Sholberg girl, an unidentified girl, Henry Smith, Ellen Olson, Charley Waterbury, a Carlson girl, Sarah Higby, Ude Smith, Cecilia Bonney, an unidentified boy, and Rossie Smith.
None of those in the front row are identified.
[transcribed by L.Z., Aug 2022]