SCHOOL RECORDS

Would you be comfortable sharing the grades you earned in elementary school through high school? Would the notes or comments made by your teachers about your behavior or attitude be ones you would be happy to share with your children, your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren?

In genealogy, some school records are available for viewing online. Many of our high school yearbooks are on Ancestry.com where we can view what our spouse looked like years ago, what an uncle or aunt’s activities were. When I look at the North High School yearbooks for the years I attended, I see my hideous hair styles, see clubs and activities I was in, and many more memories in picture form.

The grades and attendance records for the schools in Webster county when our parents or grandparents attended school are available. First, my mom and I located them in Fort Dodge, but the copies were somewhat blurry and the machine couldn’t read and clear them for viewing. I thought I wouldn’t be able to access them. But a couple of years later, I learned that the University of Northern Iowa had taken possession of these school records and were willing to make hard copies of several pages from different schools and years. I had to act quickly, deciding which might contain my closest relatives, made my list and sent it off. A few weeks later, I received the copies and paid their fee. Today, those records have been moved again, and while I’ve tried to gain access and even elicited the help from a head librarian in Fort Dodge who had connections, we were never able to access those records again.

But I do have several records for both sides of my family (OVER 250 pages!). And today I’m sharing a few with you. Aren’t you curious?

This first grade report is from June 1899, Hardin Township. I've put a little arrow to the left of two names we all know: Vernie Olofson and Lilly Olofson. Vernie was 8 years old; Lilly was 6 years old and they were both in the first grade. Both attended 37 days of the session. A young man named Eddie who was 12 years old attended just 10 days. Often I found the boys above the age of 10 attending fewer days each session, ostensibly to help out on the farm at times of the year.

The next grade report is also from Hardin Township, 1907. If you again look at the left side, you will see a few names I marked: Frankie Linn, age 12, 5th grade, attended 42 days. His grades were all in the 80s and 90s. Down the page is Maudie Olofson, age 10, attended 50 days, in the 8th grade. I wonder about the accuracy of that, but perhaps my grandmother was advanced! Her grades were mostly in the 80s with one 90.

Next is Lilly Olofson, age 12, attended 49 days, in the 5th grade. Lilly had a few grades in the 70s and the rest in the 80s. 

The third report is from Richey School for the entire 1930 school year. One name is marked: Rolland Linn, age 5. He attended school for a total of 169 1/2 days. His grades were all in the 80s. Stanley is on line 7. He was 8 years old and attended 168 days. His grades were in the 90s and 80s. 

The final one that I'm posting today is from 1905, Hardin Township #2. Several Linn and Olofson relatives are listed as well as other names of more distant relatives like Houseberg, Westling, Larson. In this record, we see the first 5 listings are close relatives: Elsie Linn, age 15, Vernie Olofson, age 14, Lillie Olofson, age 12, Peter Linn, age 12, Frankie Linn, age 9, and farther down is Maude Olofson, age 8. My grandmother Maude had one grade of 80, but all other grades for all of these relatives were in the 90s. 

A smart bunch, don't you think? Given the hard work they had to do on the farm, responsibilities for chores and tasks, walking to and from school, and doing homework, they were very busy young people. Most of these one-room school houses had fewer than15 students per session, but can you imagine being a teacher with students from age 5 to 12 or beyond? Being responsible for activities, lessons, heat, safety and more? As a retired teacher myself, I'm glad I taught one subject at a time!

I realize that some of you might not be able to enlarge the records on your computer. If there are any of these, or of the 250+ more I have that you would like me to look through, copy and send, please let me know.