Mrs. Edward Loewen 1951- .
Anne was the daughter of Rev. Cornie Loewen of Rosenhoff near Morris. She attended both the North and South Schools.
As I walk backward in my mind to my elementary schooldays, a lot of memories surface. Nostalgia assails my thoughts and fragments of various school years appear. It's the first day of school. I feel the sudden overwhelming panic, of an entirely new world; a new situation without my mom around. I smell that musty odour once again as we trailed into the school basement. To collect our lunchboxes and fight the hunger pangs which have hit an hour ago. The blended smell of opened lunchkits and musty basement are synonymous with the noon break. I feel the warm spring sun and hear the whiz of skipping ropes, the slap of the ball into the catcher's mitt. While snowbanks are still hugging the schoolgrounds, the first available dry spots are being utilized around the schoolhouse. I see the world map hanging on the south wall in the "North-School". I visualize that North on the map is "up" and south is down (this imagery in grades 1-3, the formative years) and to this day I need ten full seconds to reverse my direction of north to south! It's the end of the school year and picnic is here. There is the excitement of "green-money" and store-Henry setting up his snackbar! Cracker-jack boxes with treats worth more than the popcorn-miniature cameras, flashing rings and binoculars! But wait! What event sticks our the most over the years of grades 1-8?
On thing I must mention is not really an event, it's more a thought; a well-placed cornerstone in my life. It is in connection with my first-grade teacher Nettie Rose Cornelsen. You see, when I started school I don't think I could speak a whole English sentence. And we were strictly "verboten" to speak in our mother tongue in school. So, when everyone else seemed busy learning, listening and understanding, I was sitting there with a shamed and anguished soul. But time and again Miss Cornelsen (who must have sensed my despair) would lip beside me, bend over unobtrusively, and in the softest voice would explain everything to me in Low German! Ah, how her conspiratorial whisper built my self-esteem! How easy it was to learn under her gentle kind ways. So often she righted my upside down world. Her empathy is the precious nugget of my first year of school.
A great highlight of all of our lives was always the long awaited Christmas program. So much effort had gone into the memorizing and practising of poems, skits and favourite carols. Everyone was personally involved with some important part for this special event. By early Friday, the day of the program, excitement ran high.
In small groups of twos and threes we were dropped off at the church for the grand dress rehearsal. Girls showed up with their hair done up in huge rollers or tiny pin curls and the boys of course couldn't help but stare and poke fun. Soon the biggest boys were privileged in helping change the benches around. The first five benches were always turned sideways; this was where we schoolchildren would sit during the evening. This special seating arrangement enabled children and audience to watch each other throughout the program and this was a performance in itself! Well, by 11:30 or so, the program having been thoroughly rehearsed, we were given the rest of the day off. We hurried home for lunch and the rest of the afternoon dragged by! We almost wished we were back in school so time would go faster. Finally came the time to dress up in our finest, fluff up our hair (or slick 'em down) and go! We could just feel the creepy-crawlers knowing that everyone in the area would show up!
Needless to say, the Christmas Program went over BIG! No matter that some cried, some forgot lines, some got the giggles - the majority of us performed smoothly and well! Even after the closing carol had been sung - there was still more excitement ahead! Now for the long awaited gift-giving! It seemed so long ago that we had handed in our slops of paper with $1.00 -$1.25 gift ideas to the teacher. Would we really receive our hearts desire or even something better than we wished for? The most popular gift ideas among the girls that I remember were the manicure sets and scarf and gloves! Favourite gifts in the boys department were hockey sticks and Hardy-boy books. Then also cane the brown bagged goodies. Surely without the "tutkiss" it wouldn't have felt much like Christmas time. Keen anticipation lit our faces as we'd present our gift to the teacher. Would he be truly surprised or happy? I remember few grumbles or disappointed faces. So much happiness wore us out! Long after Christmas was over, we were stiall treasuring our Christmas gift, handling it with care and satisfaction. I remember whenever company came, one easy conversation starter went like this: "You want to come and see what I got from MY teacher for Christmas?"
For me a memorable event occurred in the "South" school with Allen Dueck as teacher. I was in grade 7 at the time. We always looked forward to Friday afternoons because they were set aside for a "special-do". Usually there was sewing, woodwork and art classes, or tobogganing and skating parties lines up. It was a welcomed break from the regular routine. Well this day was November 22, 1963 and we were all going skating. Right after lunch everyone was donning their winter apparel and lacing up skates.
It was a merry, exuberant group, just waiting for Mr. Dueck to return from his lunchbreak and give us the "let's go" signal. Suddenly we saw him coming and not at his usual steady gait. Oh No! He was running, breathless and obviously quite agitated. He popped in the door and wildly announced, "President Kennedy has been shot, the President of the United States has been shot!" At first it meant little to most of us, but strangely enough, he was so upset, it soon affected us quite directly too. It seemed to take the edge of excitement off the "afternoon special" and the skating party fell a bit flat. The tragedy in Dallas was the main topic of conversation the rest of the day. Mr. Dueck impressed on us that history was being made and recorded that day.
Then Monday, Mr. Dueck brought his radio to school and I remember the whole class sitting in complete silence as we followed the funeral carriage down the White House steps, on it's long journey to Arlington Cemetery. The radio commentary was so vivid, it was much like watching it on coloured TV. We were sharing in the sadness for a fellow country in its mourning. This event piqued my interest in history and history in the making. At that time I discovered how long-reaching current events cane be. History, since then, became important to me, and I developed a keen interest in it to this day. Anne Loewen
Mrs. Lawrence Dueck 1961-
Naomi was the daughter of John B. Loewen of Rosenhoff, now Riverside. She attended the three room school the year before consolidation.
It is with fond memories that I look back at my Grade 1 education at the Rosenhoff school. As a youngster one always anticipates school, and I for one did too and was definitely not disappointed in my new adventure in life.
There are several things that remain a very clear and vivid picture in my mind in relation to school. The jackets were always hung on big hooks on the back of the classroom to help maintain orderly neatness. The two-seater desks with the ink holes also added too the uniqueness of the classroom. Sometimes you could sit with your best friend although this did not help to create a "real" working atmosphere. The huge blackboards had so much space to write on-it was great!
Yes the Rosenhoff School days will always remain a special part of me. I feel it was a positive beginning of my education years.