April 21, 2019: Out of Place

Prim and proper Miss Webster felt out of place in my grandparents farm house.  She had come to beg for a few more years of education for my father, then in fifth grade.  His father, Frank, felt that once a child could read, write, and do figures, they were educated enough, and the farm could use their help.  But Miss Webster fought hard, and Allie was allowed to graduate from 8^th grade, on June 7^th, 1930, at the one room school in Romulus, Michigan.  Hale School was taught by one teacher, for all eight grades.  My dads’ older siblings had all gone to the school, but he was the only one Miss Webster fought for.

In kind words, he was a scamp, always getting in trouble at school, and in worst trouble at home if the word got that far.   He and his friends were caught trying to set off a WWI shell that one of the kids found in their barn.  That led to a whipping at school, and another one at home.  One hot day they were having a water fight at recess.  Dad filled his bucket at the outside pump and waited for the enemy he heard heading his way, plotting to get them!  As soon as they came around the corner of the school house, splash, a bucket full of water in the face!  Only it wasn’t Emil, Norbert, or any other boy.  It was Miss Webster! 

But despite the hijinks, Allie was a very good student.  Good enough that Miss Webster kept trying. She tried to get his parents to let him go to high school, but he was needed at home and they (his dad) refused. 

There was a strong bond of friendship between student and teacher.  My father kept in touch with her for the rest of her life.  She was recruited to teach at the Scotch Settlement School, at Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village. That was in 1932, and she stayed there the rest of her career.  After her retirement from there, she wrote a book: “An Autobiography of a One-Room School Teacher” by E. Lucille Webster.   On February 10^th, 1979 she wrote in the copy she gave Dad, “To Allie, Happy memories of our Hale School days!”  I have two photos of Miss Webster.  One is a class photo of about 40 children and Miss Webster in the early 30’s, the other is of Miss Webster, Dad, and her brother and sister-in-law in the late 70’s.

My Dad was an exceptionally smart man.  His math skills were excellent.  He was always reading. He got several news magazines and two newspapers that he read every day.  He was asked what engineering college he went to.  To the end of his life he could recite the grammar and math rhymes Miss Webster had used in her lessons.  She was a woman who made a huge impact on that farm boy’s life.  After Dad died, we passed Miss Webster’s book among the six of us, until I found it on Amazon and got copies for each of us.  I had been looking for copies for years!  Each book I gave contained the two photos and a copy of the inscription from Dad’s book.   

I have had teachers that made an impact on my life, but none that affected me in the lasting way Miss Webster affected my Dad.