CHAPTER XXXIV -- SOME YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE COUNTY WHO HAVE ACHIEVED DISTINCTION.

John B. Shorett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Shorett, pioneers of Washington township. Two terms, county superintendent of schools of Shelby county. Introduced the idea of township school picnics and rural school graduating exercises. Established many school libraries. Favored consolidation of country schools. Famous debater for the State University of Iowa, which he represented in several winning contests against neighboring state universities. Now a practicing lawyer of Seattle, Washington, where he has especially distinguished himself in waterway and harbor law, in which he has been engaged in litigation involving many hundreds of thousands of dollars. Was Democratic candidate for the nomination for Congress from his district at the last primary in Washington.

J. W. Shorett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Shorett, above named. Studied at the Woodbine Normal School and the State University of Iowa. Practiced law at Everett, Washington, and now in partnership with his brother, John B., at Seattle, Washington. Was a delegate to the last Democratic National convention from Washington.

Shelby county teachers have been elected to and have filled with credit to themselves some of the best positions in the country. For instance, Miss Elizabeth Wyland, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Wyland, a graduate of Grinnell College, is an instructor in the East Des Moines high school; her sister, Miss Mary J. Wyland, also a Grinnell graduate, has been principal of the Harlan high school and of the high school at Aberdeen, South Dakota, and besides she has made herself one of the experts of the country on the problems of school and city playgrounds, lecturing extensively on these subjects and teaching in teachers’ institutes; Miss Mignonette Cook, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. E. L. Cook, taught for several years in the city schools of Sioux City and of Omaha; Miss Winifred Cockerell has taught in the city schools of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and is now teaching in the city schools of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Miss Tina Anthony, one of the veteran teachers of Shelby county, in addition to having taught a number of years in the city schools of Harlan, taught for some time in the city schools of Red Oak, Iowa; Miss Lulu Pickard, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Pickard, taught in the city schools of Boone, Iowa; Miss Lydia Keep for some years has taught in the city schools of Marshalltown, Iowa; Miss Mabel C. Smith, daughter of Hon. and Mrs. T. H. Smith, a graduate of the State University of Iowa, was teacher of Latin in the high schools of Lisbon, North Dakota, North Yakima, Washington, Wenatchee, Washington, and McKinney, Texas. Her sister, Miss Orpha Smith, a graduate of Northwestern University, taught in the high school of Bismarck, North Dakota; Rufus A. Obrecht, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Obrecht, pioneers of Center township, became a noted expert on the subject of horses, and for some years was a professor in the University of Illinois, and in Perdue University. Miss Frances Carroll, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank S. Carroll, a graduate of the State University of Iowa, held some excellent positions in the best high schools of California. Arthur Nelson taught for several years in the Philippines. Miss Lulu Lewis and Miss Bessie Brown taught in Indian schools, as also did Miss Katie Baker. Miss Lewis taught in the famous government school at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and Miss Brown taught among the Navajoes of the Southwest. Allan Shepherd, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Shepherd, while yet an undergraduate, was honored with a position in the department of English in the State University of Iowa. He, together with Miss Frances Carroll and Miss Hazel Toof, all students of the State University of Iowa, were elected to the honorary scholarship society of Phi Beta Kappa, an organization devoted to literary culture and high scholarship, established before the Revolution in America, and to which many of the most famous men and women of America have belonged. The foregoing list is far from being complete, but it is sufficient to serve as encouragement to the young men and the young women of the county desirous of making the best of their talents

Transcribed by Denise Wurner, February, 2014 from the Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, by Edward S. White, P.A., LL. B.,Volume 1, Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1915, pp. 612-613.

< PREVIOUS

NEXT >

Site Terms, Conditions & Disclaimer