Geraldine Hulst & Janice Parnell Maple Grove School, 1951 Geraldine Hulst attended Maple Grove School from 1948-54.  "I remem- ber the 'Big Hill and the Jump' the boys made and going down on a sled and landing so hard it knocked the wind out of me.  I could hardly breathe or speak for several minutes.  Ruined my back for life!  I also remember running in front of the swing and getting hit in the head and knocked out!  Boy, did I look cute for a few weeks!  (Not one of my good memories!)  I remember feeling sad when my best friend, Janice Parnell, moved to Oregon, and then making a new best friend, Linda Paulson.       I remember the excitement of getting new reading books (especially Dick and Jane) and new workbooks. These are just a few of my memories from Maple Grove in the 'good ol' days'." ******************************* Joyce (Tollefson) Anderson remembers her new lunch box:       "In 1954, my mother bought me a new lunch box when I started third grade at Pine Hill School.  It was a square metal box with Dale Evans' picture painted on it.  There were only 4 kids in my grade, 3 boys and me.       One day just before getting on the bus to go home, and for reasons unknown to me at the time, Bruce Olson took my lunch box and stomped on it.  I couldn't figure out why.  I thought he liked me.  I found out later that the other boys in my class teased him about liking me, and he proved them wrong by stomping on my lunch box.  My mother was very upset with me that I didn't take better care of my lunch box." ***************************** Harold Watnemo attended 1st grade at Sunnyside School in 1957-58. It was his only year in a one-room rural school, but it was certainly a memorable year that he will not forget, nor will his teacher, Rayome Koehler. Tim Juve was the only other 1st grader, unless you count Nordet, Harold's imaginary friend, who got the blame for all Harold's misdeeds. Harold recounts one eventful day when he had a stand off with Rayome Koehler, who was in his first year of teaching that year. "I was certain that Tim wore a halo and was certainly the teacher's pet. This perception clouded my mind and encour- aged Nordet to come to my aid as needed. I stood in the aisle with my paste jar in my hand with my arm in a 'cocked-to-throw' position with Mr. Koehler framed against the blackboard, and I shouted the fact that Tim was picking on me! Before my missile was airborne, I believe it was my big sister, Linnae, who defused my paste jar much to the teacher's relief." I'm sure that was one time Rayome had more to say than, "Uff-da!" ********************************* The Balke Sisters, Florence, Lillian & Mable spent 106 combined years teaching in one-room country schools. (Information and pictures are courtesy of Mable Myhre’s daughter, Mavis Finseth of McIntosh.) Lillian Balke would have been a senior at Erskine High School in 1919, but she took a 6 week Teacher Training course in the summer and began teaching at age 17 instead of finishing high school.  Her first school was in Becker County and was paid $65/month.  She also taught at Wooded Park School by Winger in the 1920’s and started teaching at Pine Hill School near Fosston in 1930 until it closed in 1958.  Lillian took extra classes at Bemidji State and earned a 4-year teaching degree.  When Pine Hill closed, she taught 2nd grade in Mahnomen Public Schools until she retired in 1969.  “Not only in administering the three R’s, but in her friendly philosophy and alert interest in current happenings, has she stamped upon the community the indelible influence of her personality.  In fact, she was so dedicated to the spirit of her work that she once turned down a proffered raise—which the school board voted her anyway.”  (Quote from 13 Towns, issue unknown.)  She was a teacher’s teacher!  47 years in the classroom. Lillian Balke