My Eighth Grade
I graduated from the 8th grade in our rural school in May when I was 13 years old. We had a ruling in our church that we had to be 14 before we could be confirmed. I would not be 14 until the following January. Since we lived out in the country, and I would have to stay in town, I had to wait a whole year to to go on to high school. Mother thought I would forget too much during that year, so she sent me back to the 8th grade for another year. I was called a Post Graduate! I did much of the work in that grade over again, but I also spent a lot of time correcting papers for the teacher, reading to the lower grades, and helping them with their seat work. I believe the teacher was lucky, having a built-in helper for a year. It was also a lucky year for me, as this is when I got the idea that I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. I followed through with this ambition and ended up teaching for 38 years. Two of these years were spent in a rural school where I taught all 8 grades in Marathon County. For three years I taught Grades 1-3 at Irma, Wisconsin, 22 years in parochial school (Trinity, Wausau), where I taught Grades 3-4, and 11 years in the public school (Riverview) in Wausau, again teaching Grades 3-4. I have enjoyed my retirement, but I also enjoyed my work and all the children during my years of teaching.
I have lists of the names of most of the children that I taught. It is a real thrill to run into them from time to time, and is always interesting to see where they are living and what they are doing now. I have gotten many letters and cards over the years. One girl has sent me a Christmas card and letter every year since 1945, and I look forward to receiving it every year. All these experiences came as a result of repeating eighth grade when I was 13 years old.