| LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA |  |
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| LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA | |
Page 11
By Mary Beth Bonnichsen Carey
Transcribed by Sharon Elijah, November 15 2019
Growing up in a family of schoolteachers no doubt had a great influence on what I would become, but as I worked on this project I became very much aware of how much influence the rural schoolteacher probably had on my life.
We start with Grandmother Elva Bonnichsen who attended Washington Independent and taught at Indian Creek, Aunt Jessie Foster Torode who attended Washington Independent and taught at Wellington, and Mother, Marjorie Oepping Bonnichsen, who attended rural schools and then taught at Washington and Fredonia No. 2.
As I review my grade school teachers at Columbus Junction (kindergarten only) and at Letts, L & M (1st-12th), I discover that many of those people had early experiences in the rural school. Kindergarten teacher Esther Boulton had been at Lone Oak and Shellbark; 2nd grade teacher Lauretta Griggs had been at Old Clifton and Frog Pond; 3rd grade teacher Hazel Thompson had taught at Old Clifton, Sandy Grove and Louisa Center; 4th grade teacher Hallie Lee had taught at several different rural schools; and 6th grade teacher Ruth Cocklin was at Weaver 1917-1918. My junior high and high school teachers included Donald Joe Hankins who had been at Frog Pond and West Port and Maxine Blankenhorn Bennett who had taught at Amity and Fredonia No. 2.
So you see, I personally never attended a rural school, but I have been directly influenced by a lot of people who were excellent rural schoolteachers, and likewise were excellent “consolidated school teachers.” I thank these people for touching my life and encouraging me to become a part of today’s education profession.