By Paul Lane - September 11, 2000

When our family moved to Metz, it was just after the end of World War II and I was 8 or 9 years of age, in the third or fourth grade. Marvel Clement was my teacher at Mound Prairie No. 1, the one-room schoolhouse that sat just north of the Metz Community Church. The church still stands high on the hill west of the railroad crossing.

I always thought of the railroad crossing the road going south to the Skunk River bridge as the center part of Metz. It was near the brick "Miller" home, where Philip and Marge Lane now live. Our family moved into the house just east of that house on the south side of the road. Yes, a house with no running water, except for the hand pump over the cistern where the water bucket froze solid during the winter months, even though it was located right beside the coal and wood-burning stove. And of course, there was the outhouse behind the garage which seemed a long ways from the house in the winter and too close to the house in the summer.

Each school day my sister and I (and other neighborhood children) walked the road west and up the hill to the school. I have fond memories of school there and my teacher Mrs. Clement, who, during the years later, I came to call Marvel. She became a friend as we all grew up and, several times over the years, she let me use the century-old barn on her family property as a photography background.

The school had an entry hall with its crock water container and small bubbler drinking fountain. There, in that hall, were the rows of hooks where we hung our winter coats with winter books sitting beneath.

In the schoolroom, was the blackboard and perfectly scripted "Palmer" alphabet above. Eighth graders (of which there was one student -- Ruby Gibson, who years later became a sister-in-law) sat at the left (west end) of the room as we faced north toward Mrs. Clement. I can remember looking at the seventh and eight graders thinking how grown up they were and that they must surely be adults.

At certain times of the year, either fall or spring before school let out for the summer, and maybe both, the school's students entered in games of softball competition with the Sugar Grove students who went to school in the one-room schoolhouse north of us at U.S. Highway 6 across from the Sugar Grove Grange. It was an exciting competition and great fun.

The games played during school recesses always took place in the grassy area north of the school, that is except for tag which sent students scurrying around and behind the school where there stood the two outhouses -- one for the girls and another for the boys.

Paul Lane. (Paul died October 9, 2003)

Gloria Edwards Spencer

I have some Metz memories, too. They closed the school when I was going into the second grade, and it changed my life forever--not for the better, at least for the next few years. I remember getting off the bus at Woodrow Wilson, scared to death, and those kids looking at us like we had just escaped from a zoo or something. Won't go any further with that.

But I remember the sound of the old bell at the Metz school and how much fun recess was. Had only boys in my class, but mostly played with Donnie Butler, who I believe was a grade or two ahead of me. In kindergarten, I was the only student. But in first grade, I think my classmates were Bobby McGowan, one of the Clement boys (can't remember his first name) and Burt Guthrie. I could be wrong about them.

Back in the dark ages. Anyway, I remember Genie Cupp and her orange teeth. Remember Rich and I walking to school with Kathy White and her brother (can't recall his name) who lived at the bottom of the hill next to the creek. I remember one time the snow was deep and Kathy whined so much, Rich carried her all the way to school. My teacher was, I believe, Mrs. Snodgrass. Yucky name, but quite a lady. No way I could handle a schoolroom full of kids with that wide an age range the way she did.

Thanks for taking me on a driving tour through Metz in June, David. I know I've forgotten a lot of stuff I'd really like to remember. But the feeling was still there. A feeling of peacefulness, safety and simplicity. Wish I could recapture it for my kids. I suppose parents can't do that, though. Guess they have to live their own lives in their own times. Still, life then was good, wasn't it?

Doris Baty Immell

I have a few Metz memories - like 8 years of school there. Seven of them had Aunt Elizabeth as my teacher. However I was "teacher's pet" so no spankings. Then she married Uncle John! My eighth year I had 3 teachers and only remember one of them - Merle Jorgensen. Darrell Matheny used to hate me because of Aunt Elizabeth but we got to be good friends in high school.

By David Edwards - September 16, 2000

I think my first teacher at Metz was Marvel Clement. She dropped school work off to me every day as I was bed fast with Rheumatic Fever for almost a year. When I came down with it I remember laying in the back window of our 49 Nash watching as my Dad build the house across from the cemetery.

As we grew up, I probably spent about as much time there as the residents playing ball in the empty lower half and catching squinnies etc. I could go on for hours talking about the glowing tombstone and hidden microphones to scare the girls etc. but I'll save that for another day.

I remember riding Larry Lane's dad's calves, or trying too, during recess. And I will never forget how devastated I was that Florette Mulbrook wouldn't have anything to do with me. I remember making ski jumps in the pasture during the winter our sleds. And I remember Uncle John's big old bull that put many a dent in the grill of his truck when he would try to make him go where he didn't want to go. Well gotta close for now. More later!

Dena Baty Couch - September 30, 2000

I remember walking home from school in the winter when the snow was really deep in the roads because my little fingers were numb and Mother had to put them in water to thaw them.

I'll never forget the day a big rat ran across the front of the class room. Neva Gibson, she was sort of a tomboy, just ran up and grabbed it by the tail and took it to the basement and threw it in the furnace.

I also remember the softball games we used to play, especially with other schools.

Ben Sample - October 11, 2002

We moved to Metz in about 1948 and I believe I began in 5th grade and after the sixth grade went into Newton for Jr. High.

We lived north of the School in a small house on the North side of the creek, which we rented for $10.00 a month.

My sister Marilyn and I walked to the school the first day and entered the front door and I saw Marvel Clement our teacher to be, sweeping the floor in the coat room.

I thought she was the most beautiful lady I had ever seen. I always considered Marvel my friend, and she helped me very much with my schooling. I always felt she was a friend in return.

Not to go down memory lane but we used to have a small library with a set of encyclopedias of which I used to pick one out and read it after I had my assignments finished. I was fascinated by the books and learned a lot from them.

One time there was a shipment of coal for the furnace which the chunks were to large for the stoker. Marvel asked me if I would break some of the chunks up so they would fit. I was so happy to do this for her as I felt I was being trusted with a special duty.

Where we lived there was no electricity so My father bought a Maytag washer with a gasoline engine on it, It was called a Maytag Multi-Motor. We would wash the clothes in the winter and hang them on the line where they would freeze and then take them in by the stove to re-dry.

Bob Hitchler, Paul Lane and I were good friends. They would invite me over to their houses and we always had a good time together.

At this time the television came out in the homes and we would plan on watching a program but might have to watch what was called a test pattern image on the screen, before the programs were started. I suppose I learned patience then.

I had forgotten the Rhythm Band we had at the school, until I saw my picture in the band on the computer.

If I had known they were going to have computers and e-mail I might have stood up straighter like my mother always told me to do.

I returned to Metz in Nov. of 1979 and got to see Carl and Marvel and I have talked to Marvel a couple of times since on the phone. I don't know if I will ever get back to Iowa again or not.

Sometimes it's better to live with the memories as you can kind of adjust them to be like you want.

I would like to thank those who worked so hard to enter the photos and memories on the computer. When I saw it today, it was one of the best surprises I have had for a long time.

Ben Sample BENforced@aol.com

Barbara Lane Hug - September 30, 2000

I remember a lot of things, like the time I tried to strangle my sister because she had told my mom that I had run ahead of her to school. As punishment my mom made me wait and start later to school. Every step I took I got madder and madder. By the time I got to school, I was furious and went down in the basement to find her, and then I let her have it. I remember the teacher pulling me off of her. We laugh about it now.

I also remember the softball games because I was quite good at batting and running. But I was too little to play in the big games with the other schools, and by the time I was in 6th grade I was shipped off to "town" school.

I can visualize the school room. It seemed very large at the time, but I bet it was actually quite small, although we could pack the whole neighborhood in for a school program. Speaking of programs, I remember practicing my "piece" that's what a short saying or part in a play was called. I was scared to death, but I walked on stage and said my piece ok. Then we always had to do it again at the grange hall. When I was quite small we actually had a stage built up for the big program of the year, usually Christmas. We had curtains and I remember wanting to be a curtain puller and probably was when I was older.

Back to the description, I remember that the rows were set up by size of student with the smaller desks on the right as you faced north toward the front of the room. To the right of the small desks was the library. It was actually built into the wall and had doors. I remember sitting next to the library so I must have been in Primary grade or first grade.

So we pretty much sat in rows by grade unless someone was either a lot larger of smaller than the desks in that row. I remember looking up at the 8th graders and thinking how big they were. I idolized those people and to this day think they are very special people. The photo of the rhythm band is one of my favorite pictures of my childhood because that is exactly the way I remember all those people.

I could go on and on and on about my memories of school because it was such an important part of my life. One last thing though besides the outdoor toilets and the sledding in the field behind the school house was the fact that we had to buy all of our school books before school started. We always went to Powell's drug store and purchased our books and I remember how excited we were to get the new or used books. I loved school and continue to be an educator even now.