Mills County, Iowa

School Reunions

Glenwood High School "Class of 1889" - 50 year Reunion

Memories of School Days of Yesteryear
Alta Wrenwick Brown Recounts Memories of School Days of Half Century Ago in Verse

When the five members of the class of 1889 assembled as the guests of one of them number, Mrs. T.Q. Records, for the fiftieth anniversary of their graduation from Glenwood High school, on the occasion of this year's commencement, they had memories of those school days of yesteryear in the line of Alta Wrenwick Brown, a member of their class, now residing in Waterloo, who was unable to be present, but who sent words of greeting and the following poem, dedicated to the class of 1889, Old Glenwood High school:

"OLD BRICK"
"Old Brick" of great renown,
Erstwhile in Glenwood Town,
High on a hill,
Though in your stead now stands -
Due to new age demands -
New school to thrill.

Yet you convey me back
To that blazed beaten track
Where my dad drove
"Old Ben," hitched to a log
Clearing way for my jog
Schoolward through grove.

Hooded and mittened so,
Mattered not drifting snow
Pelting like ice;
Visions of Teacher's smile
Made the trudge seem a while
Of Paradise!

Through years, "Old Brick," you bring
Forward the grapevine swing;
Also - alack" -
Rod lad to teacher brought
Sensing not it was wrought
For his own back.

Germed well from which we drew
Old oaken bucket grew
Far out of date;
tin pail and dipper passed;
Sanitve pads, at last
Ousted the slate.

You are forgiven quite,
Dear "Teacher" for that night
Early in Spring
When I was kept in, racked,
For my twin sister's act
of whispering!

"Old Brick," the lessons learned
In you for life are burned
Deep in my heart...
Than the, what could suffice
In Life's book, high of price,
More to impart?

O Class of eighty-nine,
Let us for "auld Lang Syne"
Lay down Now's rule,
Let in the laughing crew
Of floret, fern and dew,
Through which our child-feet flew
To "Old Brick" school!

- Alta Wrenwick Brown

Memories of that commencement day, half a century ago, were revived for these members of that class by a commencement folder, "Opinion Print," which shows the scene of the commencement at the old opera house, which stood on the corner where the Chevrolet garage now stands and the water of Keg creek, which then wound around at the east bank of the hill on that block is clearly visible in the picture.

The commencement program on that night of May 31, 1889, was as follows:

Invocation
Music
Oration with Salutatory Address, "Cob-Webs and Cables" - Alta Wrenwick
Oration, "The New States" - Guy Hammond
Oration, "The Acadian Exiles" - Rhoda Schappel
Declamation, "Ginevra" - Ida Powell
Oration, "Simon Says Thumbs Up" - May Daniel
Oration, "Our Constitution" - Rollie Warren
Oration, "Culture" - Chatta Guildford
Oration, "Civil Service Reform" - Clarence Stone
Declamation, "Money Musk" - Allie Watkins
Oration, "Occupations Open to American Girls" - Mattie Davies
Oration, "The Music of Nature" - Marie Scott
Oration, "Enthusiasm" - Henry Crawford
Class History - Edith Byers
Oration, "The True Americans" - Carl Shaffner
Oration, "Life a School" - Ida Wrenwick
Music
Conferring of Diplomas
Benediction

The folder shows that at that time the board of education consisted of D L Heinsheimer, J.V. Hinchman, R. H. Daniel, D. B. Lufkin, S. C. Osborn, A. Davis, L.E. Williams, secretary, and A. C Sabin, treasurer. H.G. Lamson was superintendent and Alma Frazier was assistant superintendent.

Those who were the guests of Mary Daniel Records, at commencement last Thursday from among those of this class were: Mary Davies DeFrance, Omaha; Guy Hammond, Mason City; Carl Shaffner, Bridgeport, Conn.; C.R. Warren and wife of this community, and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Wright of Omaha, he having been a member of the class of 1887. This was a fifty-second anniversary of his graduation.

~ Contributed and Transcribed by Nancy Myers
Source: Glenwood Opinion Tribune, May 25, 1939, page 3