Submitted by: Linda Zieman--My Grandmother and Mother were former teachers in the Plymouth County rural, country schools. My Grandma wrote a letter to my sister and I in Feb. 1974 which explained the history of her 8th Grade exams and promotion. Here is a portion of that letter:

Dear Granddaughters,

I would like for you to have these vases for "keep sakes," --not that they are so valuable, except in expressions of sentiment.

These vases were given to me by my Aunt Eva Brodie, my father's youngest sister. The smaller one was a gift when I graduated from 8th Grade in 1919. In those days the children who took 8th grade work in country school had to pass state examinations in every subject of the grade, in order to be accepted into a high school. I passed my exams in Feb. 1919, at the age of 12 years. (If some did not pass all subjects in February, they were given another examination in that subject in May.) Then if all grades were at an average of 75 with no grade below 70, the scholar was admitted to the county graduating class. We were given a graduating "ceremony" very similar to the high school commencements of the present time. I remember that I made my new blue organdy dress with white ruffles for the occasion. [Letter excerpt written by Mrs. Ferne Tindall, of LeMars, Iowa]

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