Erma West's Journal - Post 6 - Schools

My first school was in Letcher, So Dakota. I was 6 yrs when I started. I think it was called the Steckel School. All the grades were in the one room country school. When my mother married the old goat Hainy, we moved to Wessington springs to his home, and I went to another country school. There was no kindergarten. We started right in first grade or primary as it was called. One of my teachers was Zell Messerve. She roomed at our place. I had to walk a mile to school both places. I remember during recess we would play “Pom Pom Pull Away”, “Freeze Ball”, or “Fox and Geese” when there was snow. We use to have programs some times and the ladys would bring box lunches which were decorated (Page 8) with crepe paper and flowers on top and a yummy lunch inside. They were auctioned off. The men would buy them so who ever bought you’re basket would be your partner for the lunch. The money would go to the school to buy things which were needed.

When I made the trip to Dakota with Mel and the boys, Bonny Dankey, the boy that bought my basket said he was so bashful, that he didn’t dare say a word the whole time we were eating.

We use to have dances, usually they were in the house. They would clear out the dinning room. Every on had quite a large room and we would dance. In the summer time they would clean out the hay loft in the barn and there – that was fun. There were no dances at the schools – in the one room with all the desks there wasn’t any room to dance.

It was called grade school up to the 8th grade. I went through the 8th grade in Hinckley, Minnesota. I moved there with my sister Agnes and family and graduated there from the 8th grade.

I took a course in Cosmatology and was going to go to beauty school (This was after I was married) but my husband took ill and I had to go to work. I worked at the “Famous Department Store” on 5th and Main in L.A. then at Sears on Vermont and Uauson, so never did go to school. I even had my uniform and had enrolled.