Published: June 27, 2008 03:56 pm            

Looking back at the one room school

Battle Ridge School, located about five miles northwest of Pella, was built in 1870 on 3/4ths acre of ground purchased from Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Hasselman and J. Schippers. It closed in the spring of 1960.

The original school building was destroyed by fire on Dec. 12, 1933. In preparation for a rehearsal for a Christmas program to be given the following week the stove was lit early in the evening. The fire was discovered at 7 pm and was thought to have been ignited by a stove explosion. Fortunately, the school had purchased insurance the year before. The next day neighbors met to make plans to use the $1200 they would collect to build a new school.

In the meantime teacher Janet Steenhoek invited students Wilma Faye Van Zante, Ada Blanche Van Steenis, and Arthur Van Zee to her home for lessons so they wold be able to pass their 8th grade exams. The younger children had a short vacation until the basement of the new building was completed.

Following school reunions in 1976 and 1981 Mrs. Virgil Klein, Raymond Den Adel and Vernon Wielard put together a two volume history of the school. It contains many pictures of students and teachers, newspaper clippings, programs, personal memories of students, etc. A copy is available for reading at the Sterrenberg library in the Pella Historical Village.

Vernon Wielard recalls a visit from County Superintendent Sylvia F. Plotts. (Country school teachers were always a bit nervous about these unannounced visits.) Mrs. Plotts drove onto the school yard the last period of the day and was not happy to find a Halloween party in progress with everyone in costume enjoying special treats.

In her memoir Cora Jonker Hayes also mentions a visit from the County Superintendent. Her teacher Rosetta Walraven actually invited the of Superintendent to hear one the spelling bee contests. Smart teacher. The visit probably meant that there would be no unannounced visit that year!

“Fond Memories of Battle Ridge 1922-28” is Mrs. Hayes’ detailed account of how lessons were taught, how special holidays were observed and gives us insight into why she was a good student who enjoyed school and appreciated her teachers. She says that her parents liked to read and encouraged their 7 children to read books from the Pella Library. When all their school work was done for the day they were allowed to read books one hour before going to bed. At school Miss Walraven also allowed students to read after lessons were done. She said she worked hard to finish early.

In the early days the school year was divided into three semesters-fall, winter, and spring. Sometimes three different teachers would employed for the year making for a very long list of teachers. Here is the list of known teachers (not all in order) at Battle Ridge. Because the early records were destroyed accuracy depends on the memories of their students. Nora Hayes (1st teacher), George Kimmel, Frank Wright, Laura Fisk Dykstra, George Neimeyer, Bessie Vander Linden, Mary Howell, George Carnahan, Maude Todd 1898, Gertrude Ver Steeg Kamerick, G. L. Hackert, 1899, Garrett Bos, Minerva Pugh 1901, Lynn Platt 1903, Bert Kersbergen 1908, Mons S. Quam1909, Gertrude Renaud, Gradus Vriezelaar 1910, Hattie Neyenesch Van Wyk 1912, Gertrude Den Hartog Hoksbergen 1913, Anthony Hospers 1914, Laura Verrips Verhey, Lorna Lewis 1916, Albert Vander Ploeg, Josie Thomassen Dykstra, Minnie Gaass Ryken, Maggie Vander Linden MCracken, William Onstine, Cora Hoogenakker Graff, Jennie Kuyper, Caroline Brummel Van Weelden 1918, Pearl Steinkamp Sedrel, Margaret Burns 1920, Lucy Hoksbergen Bennick, Jennie Van Osstrum Van Zante, Arthur Sels 1922, Rosetta Walraven Kolenbrader 1923, Avis Van Houweling Van Zomeren 1926, Alma Rietveld Ver Ploeg March-May 1929, Olive Schakel 1929, Leona Arens Van Rees 1930, Antionette Rietveld Vander Wal 1931, Janet Grootveld Steenhoek 1933, Mae M. Vogelaar 1934, Mrs. Henrietta L. Van Roekel Van Zante, 1935, Jeanette Vander Wal Ver Meer 1937, Anna Slocum Koons 1939, Alice Postma Kaldenberg 1940, Eleanor Ver Ploeg Gaass 1943, Marjorie Boot Vos 1946 , Agnes Vander Hart 1949, Lena Hoksbergen Van Rheenen 1955, Florence Hackert Van Gorp spring 1956, and Anna Mae Vande Noord Gosselink 1956.



(The next school featured will be Sand Ridge. If you have information about any Marion county country school that you would like to contribute to the historical socity’s collection of memorabilia please call me at 628-4716.)

        

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