Michael and Elizabeth (Sowerwine) Foland arrived in a covered wagon at Decatur County, Iowa 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.

Besides farming, Michael owned and operated a hardware store and a harness shop in Westerville. He also owned and operated a sorghum mill.

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. Michael was the first trustee of the school.

Michael was born January 14, 1820 in Rockingham County, Virginia, and died April 18, 1904. Elizabeth was born November 23, 1822, Timberville, Virginia, and died August 25, 1896. They were interred at the Wheelis/Tennessee Cemetery located north of their homestead, Richland Township of Decatur County, Iowa.

Samuel "Sam" Foland, the sixth child of Michael and Elizabeth (Sowerwine) Foland, was born April 10, 1854 in Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana. He owned and farmed a homestead located directly east across the road from his father's farm and the Foland School. He later purchased 80 acres located directly south across the road from the Foland School.

Samuel married Sarah Belle Emley on February 2, 1879. Sarah Belle, the daughter of Thomas John and Mahulda "Hulda" (Moss) Emley, was born in Richland Township, Decatur County, Iowa, on September 11, 1860. Her father, Thomas John, established the Brick School, which was located directly west of the Wheelis/Tennessee Cemetery, and served as trustee of that school.

Upon Michael Foland's death, Sam assumed his position as trustee of the Foland School. Albert "Ab" Foland, Michael and Elizabeth's grandson, assumed ownership of the original homestead upon which the Foland School was located.

Sarah Belle died December 17, 1910. Sam served as treasurer and trustee of the Foland School for 27 years. He died on

Homer Lowell Foland, youngest of Samuel "Sam" and Sarah Belle (Emley) Foland's four sons, was born on May 20, 1898, Richland Township, Decatur County, Iowa. He remained on the Sam Foland homestead and farmed the land with his father. After Sam's death in 1932, Homer continued to farm the homestead.

Homer served his county and community well as director of the Foland School for fifteen years and later as treasurer. He held the office of Clerk for Richland Township and served on many farm committees and organizations, the A.A.A., Farmer’s Home Administration, Decatur County Tax Board of Review, and as a member of Decatur County’s Board of Soil Conservation. Homer was the first farmer in the area, if not southern Iowa, to plant Pioneer hybrid corn.

On February 1, 1920, Homer married Pearle Velva Bramon, the daughter of Fred B. and Luella (Young) Bramon. Pearle was born on November 7, 1898, in rural Delphos, Ringgold County, Iowa.

Several Foland School teachers boarded with Homer and Pearle during the school term over the years. In 1962 Homer and Pearle retired from farming and moved to Grand River.

Homer died on February 4, 1963. Pearle died on November 15, 1969. They were interred at Grand River Cemetery.

Early teachers unknown

Edith (Beers) Ball, daughter of Frank Beers, was born in 1901 near Decatur City. Edith taught at the Foland School during the school term of 1924-25 and from 1952 to 1955. She resided in a travel trailer set up in Sam Foland's timber directly south of the schoolhouse during the school term. Edith, the wife of Eldon Ball, died in 1984. She was buried at Grand River Cemetery, Grand River, Decatur County, Iowa. Ada Estella “Ada” Crees, born September 18, 1899, the daughter of Willis W. and Anna C. Crees. She graduated from Leon High School, Leon, Decatur County, Iowa, with the class of 1918, and taught at the Foland School from 1925 to 1926. She married Dwight L. Akers on June 2, 1937 and continued teaching in the rural schools of Decatur County, Iowa. She died March 13, 1993, and was interred at Decatur Cemetery, Decatur, Iowa.

Rosamond Ruth Ramsey was born January 19, 1907 on a farm near Grand River, Iowa, the daughter of John Thomas Ramsey (1878-1949) and Lefa Alvira (Brammer) Ramsey (1878-1954). She began a life-long teaching career shortly after graduating from Grand River High School with the Class of 1926. Rosamond taught for two years at Westerville School, four years at the Foland School (fall of 1928 - spring of 1932), four years at Woodard School, four years at Garden Grove School, all in Decatur County, and six years at Clarinda School. She moved to Des Moines in 1946 where she taught at Sabin Hills, Longfellow and Brooks Elementary Schools. After 46 years of teaching elementary classes, Rosamond retired. She obtained her bachelor’s degree at Cedar Falls Teachers College and her masters degree by going to summer school from Drake University. Rosamond was truly a remarkable woman, pursuing her goals and dreams in an era when most doors were closed to women. She was an unassuming pioneer and heroine of her time. Rosamond died of a respiratory ailment Monday, March 5, 1990, at the Indianola Good Samaritan Center West, aged 83 years and 45 days. Burial was made at Grand River Cemetery, Decatur County, Iowa.

Etola (Grimm) Thielmann was born on November 30, 1914, on a farm near Grand River, Iowa, the daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Annabelle (Kirkpatrick) Grimm. She graduated from Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls and taught elementary school for 36 years at several different Iowa locations which included rural schools in Decatur and Clarke Counties (1934 – 1937 at the Foland School), Beaman, Des Moines and Newton. She retired from teaching in 1980. She married Dr. C. J. Thielmann on February 2, 1946. Dr. Thielmann immigrated from Germany in 1923. Etola maintained active correspondence with her former pupils even after she succumbed to blindness and eventually moved to Nelson Manor Nursing Home in Newton, Iowa, where she died at the age of 99 years on Tuesday, March 25, 2014. Burial was made at Newton Union Cemetery.

Margaret “Irene” (Buell) Schwalbe was born in Decatur County, Iowa, on May 27, 1914, the daughter of Home and Amy Ellen (Daughton) Buell. A 1932 graduate of Grand River High School, she devoted her entire life to teaching school and to her beloved cattle. Irene attended Normal Training in Creston and later took classes at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. She taught at the Foland School 1932 – 1934 prior to her marriage to Henry “Hank” Schwalbe on April 24, 1935.
Widowed in 1947, Irene nurtured many new-born calves through frigid Iowa storms and every child who passed through her class at Grand Valley Elementary School. Often, she not only taught the children of her prior pupils but their grandchildren as well. She was the teacher sought out by those who came back to visit long after their elementary days were mere faint memories.
Irene died at the age of 81 years on August 19, 1996 at
Mount Ayr Heath Care Center in Mount Ayr. Burial was made at Grand River Cemetery.

  Eldest daughter of Mervyn G. and Katheryn (Webb) Jackson, Marjorie “Eileen” (Jackson) Miller was born near Kellerton on April 7, 1921. She attended grade school at Jackson Hill rural school located northwest of Kellerton and was a 1927 graduate of Kellerton High School. She taught at the Foland School from 1942 to 1946. While school was in session, Eileen boarded with Homer and Pearle (Bramon) Foland.
Eileen married Walter James Miller on June 10 1945. Eileen died on March 25, 2003 at Springfield, Missouri on March 25, 2003. Burial was made at Munyon Cemetery, rural Grand River, Iowa.

 
Elvera V. (Johnson) Mullen was born in 1909, the daughter of Elijah Benjamin “Lidge” and Nettie Anne (Strubhar) Johnson. Elvera Mullen taught at the Foland School from 1955 to 1957. She then taught remedial reading at Grand River and Grand Valley Community School in Grand River. Elvera married Clinton E. Mullen on February 19, 1930. Elvera died on November 9, 1968. Burial was made at Hopeville Cemetery, Hopeville, Iowa.

Foland School, 1909	Interior of Foland School	Ready for Christmas Pageant
Spring Term, 1912	Souvenir, 1912-13*	Fall Term, 1919	Foland School, 1924

Foland School, 1928	Foland School, 1933-34	Foland School, 1936	Fall Term, 1941
	Spring Term, 1943	Winter Term, 1943

A Little Bit O' Music at the Former Foland School
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Dennis Phipps Instrumental Music 1961-62

Jim Thaden Vocal Music 1961-64

Wesley Schiable Instrumental Music 1963-64

Orley Kilburn Instrumental Music 1965-67

Alice Grosser Vocal Music 1966-67

Tom Ashbaugh Vocal Music 1966-67

In Concert, 1966-67

Grand Valley Band, 1966-67

Grand Valley Band, 1968-69

Grand Valley Band, 1974-5

Elbert McAlister Instrumental & Vocal Music 1968-69	Dale Duke Instrumental & Vocal Music 1969-71	Joseph "Alex" Baer Instrumental & Vocal Music 1971-72	Bonner Davis II Instrumental & Vocal Music 1973-74	Gloria Palmer Elementary Music 1974-75	Myron Swan Instrumental Music & Vocal Music 1974-75
Vicki King Instrumental & Vocal Music 1976-	Shannon Tritten Elementary Music 1979-87	Mike Tritten Instrumental & Vocal Music 1979-87	Katie Sue Lockwood Instrumental & Vocal Music 1987-88	Christa Miller Instrumental & Vocal Music 1988-92

1984 - 1985 Marching Band

1991 - 1992 Jazz Band

1991 - 1992 Chorus

After Daniel Borntrager and his crew from Promise City & Seymour, Iowa, did some preservation and restoration work beneath the building, The Foland School/GV Museum was moved once again on June 29, 2011 back to the former GV School Grounds. Daniel and his able crew supervised and completed the move with assistance from Dick Jackson, Myron and Shirley Ingram, Harley Cooper, Rex Jackson, John and Dee Euritt. Medicom and Alliant Engery donated their services in moving power lines and fiberoptic cables out of the way for this journey. Funding for this portion of the project came from Friends of GV Museum and a REAP grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa.

Where Did The Museum Go?	Headed Up Decatur St.	Tricky Curve Ahead	Tree Limb in the Way
Got It!	Made It!	Mediacom On The Job	Going. . . .
Going. . . .	Gone!	Comin' Down Home Stretch	Home Stretch
Goal In Sight!	Comin' Up The Drive	Arrival	Gettin' In Position
Tree In The Way	To Save A Tree	Ready? Set. . . .	Squeezin' By
To Quote Dee, "The Building Has Landed"	And A Tree Was Saved	Foundation Venting & Drainage	Venting & Drainage

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2009; updated May of 2015