Jefferson (a.k.a. Funktown) School No. 1

Grand River Township, Decatur County, Iowa


Jefferson (Funktown) School

ca. 1904

Jefferson (Funktown) School*

1914

Jefferson School Souvenir**

1922, cover

Jefferson School Souvenir**

1922, inside
Helen Baker, Esther Shields, Olive Shields, Emmett Daughton, Marie Baker, Karl Baker, Sherman Baker, Ray Baker, Leonard Sanders, Bill Sanders, Ralph Baker, Rolland Shields. Mary Miller, Sherman Baker, Lawrence Taggart, Susie Taggart, Ardis Beck, Ralph Baker, Frank Baker   Elba O. Joy, Kate L. Hull, W.H. Greene, Carrie M. Greene, Elba Shewmaker, Tyle L. Hembry, John Baker, Orville Greene, Granville Greene, Frank Baker, Cyril Greene, Winona Greene, Hazel Baker, Mae Greene, Lowell Greene, Lucille VanLaar, Ardell Beck, Earle Greene, Carral Beck, Pauline Baker, Lurene VanLaar

Jefferson School

1927

Jefferson School Souvenir**

1929, cover

Jefferson School Souvenir**

1929, inside
Wilma Ramsey, Johnny Van Laar, Earl Greene, Kenneth Williams, Dorothy Van Laar, Pauline Baker, Lurene Van Laar, Eugene Baker, Carroll Beck, Virginia Williams, Keith Baker, Elab David Shewmaker   Wilma Ramsey, Earl Greene, Elda Williams, Kenneth Williams, Elba David Shewmaker, Johnny Van Laar, Marilyn Williams, Dorothy Van Laar, Pauline Gibson, Lovaine Shewmaker, Eli Hutchinson, Walter Beck, Tyle Hembry, Floyd Campbell, Henry Greene

 The Jefferson School was relocated during the early years from near Funktown. The original Jefferson (a.k.a. Funktown) Schoolhouse burned down around the year 1916. A new three-roomed schoolhouse was built to replace it.

Nancy Bradshaw was one of the early school teachers, often either walking or riding a horse many miles a day to teach school.

SOURCE: "The Moran and Bradshaw Families." Reflections of Grand River, Iowa: 1881 - 1981. p. 256. Clarke Co. Pub. Co. Osceola IA. 1981.

The Leon Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, January 18, 1917, Page 1

New Court Cases

_________


Walter Beck, Charles Kelley and Henry Street vs. T. L. Hembrey. Defendant is president of the rural independent district No. 1 of Grand River township and after the school house in his district was destroyed by fire, he procured a building alleged to be unsanitary and unfit for school purposes. Plaintiffs and others appealed from this order of the school board to the county superintendent and on hearing the superintendent reversed the order of the board and held that the children of the district should attend school in the town of Grand River until a new school house was erected in said district. that in defiance of said order defendant employed a teacher and held school in the building, paying the teacher out of his private means and on July 9th, caused himself to be re-imbursed in the sum of $86.00. That prior to the commencement of this suit plaintiffs demanded the return of the money so illegally paid, and bring suit to recover the amount so paid out. Baker & Parrish, attorneys for plaintiffs.

NOTE: The school house that burned down was the Jefferson (a.k.a. Funktown) School House, which burned down in 1916.

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, March of 2015
 
Joe McMorris was the teacher in 1934. His pupils were Wayne Kelley, Lois McMorris, Dorothy Kelley, Dean Bryant, Erma Grimm, Bobby McMorris, Alma Grimm, Jr. Frost and Lucile Bryant.

The school building has been converted into a "hog palace" on the Keith Baker farm.

Reflections of Grand River, 1881 - 1981
  
Original page created by Sharon Becker 2013, updated 2017; transcribed and reformatted by Conni McDaniel Hall Oct 2019.
 
Schools Directory *** Decatur County IAGenWeb