| 58 | Community History, Zearing, Iowa | 58 |
In 1887, Edward G. Richardson built an upstairs room for the Zearing school. The total cost of the two story building was $3,000. In 1887, J. Fred Reed became the first principal of the Zearing school. Principal Reed established a school of nine grades.
The school had three principals during the period from 1887 to 1893.
| J. Fred Reed | H. B. Hunt |
| R. S. Selby |
The Zearing school was again enlarged. Three rooms were used beginning in 1893. Elizabeth Kline was the principal of the Zearing school from 1893 until the spring of 1896. Etta Mendenhall taught the intermediate grades from 1893 until the spring of 1895. Nettie Patton was the primary teacher from 1893 until the spring of 1898.
On June 6, 1895, the first graduation exercises were held. Members of the graduating class took part in the graduation program. That was the custom in those days. Names of the members of the class and the titles of their orations follow:
Lena Richardson—The Past Has Taught Its LessonMaggie Guthrie—Queen EstherBertha Schultze—No Excellence Without LaborMabel V. Clift—“Et tu Brute”Grace P. Burkhart—Nature's Art GalleryDenison A. Tisdale—Valedictory&mdash“Victories of Defeat”
Bennett A. Armstrong was the president of the board of education in 1895.
Nettie Armstrong took charge of the intermediate grades in the fall of 1895. S. B. Miller was the principal when the fall term in 1896 began. Louise Heidenreich was the primary teacher in the fall of 1898.
The commencement program dated May 25, 1899, listed the following Zearing teachers:
S. B. Miller—PrincipalDenison A. Tisdale—IntermediateLouise Heidenreich—Primary
The school board of 1899 had the following members:
Robert A. Dool—PresidentJ. Wesley DealNathaniel R. CliftGeorge E. AirhartCharles A. Burkhart—SecretaryGeorge Wohlheter—Treasurer
We can not list all of the members of the early graduating classes. We are listing the class of 1899 because there was class loyalty among the members of that Class not equaled by any other class in Zearing school history.
Celia Mead Schuler of Welcomes Minnesota, stated in a letter dated April 13, 1954, that she was proud of the class of 1899. At