(Hattie Tolman Stinger grew up in Marion, Idaho and shares her memories of the Marion School.)
I started school in the Island school in the fall of 1929. The next s
chool year my folks moved, so we were then in the Marion school district. It was a red brick school. It had a big room, a small room, and a recreation hall the length of the two rooms. There we played at recess in bad weather as well as basketball, roller skating, hop scotch, and volleyball. The little room was for the 1st to 4th grades, the big room was for the 5th to 8th grades. I had Emma, my sister, for my teacher in the 2nd grade.
One experience I had in grade school (about 3rd grade) I won’t forget. For some reason I was to stay after school and write some words on the board 500 times. Well I didn’t want to so as soon as school was out I dashed out the door and headed home. The teacher sent a couple of boys from the big room to bring me back because I still had to do my assignment! I was mortified, but nevertheless, it taught me a good lesson to suffer the consequences when I had done a wrong.
I was held back in the 4th grade because book learning was so hard for me. I wasn’t a very good reader so that was a big drawback to my learning. I still don’t like to read but I know it is something I need to force myself to do each day. Mr. Thompson was my favorite teacher. He had bright red curly hair. He wore nicker pants and boots with the pants tucked in. I had a crush on him. I remember that we looked forward to Valentines day. Bethene Mabey and I both had a crush on Lennie Garner. We were good girlfriends but we would wonder if we would get a valentine from Lennie and who’s would be the prettiest and have the sweetest saying on it. In those days you didn’t give a valentine to everyone, just to those you wanted to.
Hattie Tolman Stinger is the daughter of William Alvin Tolman and Hattie Naomi Tolman. She is married to Thomas Ross Stinger. Visit FamilySearch to learn more about these ancestors.
Also visit the Thomas Tolman Family Organization to find out how you can get more involved in family history.