This school was founded shortly after the parish in the 1870’s. It was a two-room frame building and initially taught by the Nuns of Oldenburg. The teachers were paid by the township trustee as this was never a parochial school, and its pupils were catholic and non-catholic alike. After some years, the Nuns were replaced by lay teachers. In later years, this small frame building was replaced by a two-story brick building, situated behind the church, which served as the school until its closing in the 1940’s. The building is now used for social events by the community.
One of the interesting teachers in this school was a Mr. William ZACHARIAS, a recent immigrant from Germany. Although well educated in his native land, Mr. ZACHARIAS was neither well acquainted with American folklore or the mischievousness of American youth. One day, on February 1, several of the larger boys called the teacher’s attention to the large calendar hanging on the wall. They told the good man that there shouldn’t be any school next day, February 2nd. “Why so?” asked the teacher. The youths then pointed to the calendar. The somewhat perplexed pedagogue adjusted his spectacles and noted that February 2 was “Ground Hog” day. Anxious to become a full-fledged American and desiring to honor all American holidays and festivals, he thereupon announced to the class: “There will be no school tomorrow in honor of the groundhog.”
Elmer E. Peters, MD,
May 21, 1995