School: Merry Vale School (Reunion - 1976)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Voigt, Dankemyer, Krejci, Hales, Pietenpol, Searls, Dahl, Walter, Scharf, Beeckler, Retzlaff, Braatz, Silbernagel, Davis, Mortimer, Gallagher, Kintzele, Graves, Steinich, Gardner, Holt, Poziombke, Ableiter, Back, Beers, Giertz, Manley, Carlson, Downer, Witte, Elmhorst, Tyler, Henninger, Klein, Hetzel, Wright, Hooper, Kier, Jilly, Knaak, Nickel, Youngblom, Rogers, Rowe, Crisman, Benedict, Lulloff, Walker, Bender, Strey, Schultz, Richert, Diercks, Celar, Peaslee, Lezotte, Thiemke, Doering, Mullins, Geldernick, Tremelling, Weister, Wierenzenski, Eibergen, Dudei, Steiner, Hoesly, Mortimer, Sisson, Tucker, Frischman, Haskins, Grabe, Dorst, Zepplin, Shellman, Eid, Hainz, Horvat, Korth, Meyer, Mullins, Nonhoff, Moore, Root, Allorie, Lynch, Gilbert, Doudna, Herian, Goeckermann, Healy

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 7/22/1976

Merry Vale School (All School Reunion – 18 July 1976)

Approximately 250 persons attended the reunion of Merry Vale School District No. 3 on Sunday, July 18, at the York Town Hall. Included were 83 former pupils, nine of the 15 living teachers, two county school superintendents, two storekeepers, one cheesemaker, and a number of pupils’ spouses, former and present residents of the old district, children and friends.

The oldest pupil in attendance was Martha Voigt Dankemyer, 86, of Chili. Others in their 80’s were Mary Krejci Hales and Ruth Pietenpol, both of Granton. Bertha Searls, 88, Richland Center, was the oldest former resident attending. The youngest pupil present was Judith Dahl Walter, a first grader in 1958-59.

Memorabilia on display for the gathering included an old school desk, a large iodine tablet bottle, a sample of grain used prior to the county-wide grain judging contest, many heirloom photographs and snapshots, and letters from some former pupils who were unable to attend.

A 35-page souvenir booklet was compiled for the event; copies are still available. Included are: histories of the Merry Vale School; the York Dairy; the York Center Store and Wilcox Post Office, and the Methodist Church; school terms, teachers and their wages, and available lists of pupils attending each term; names of all school board members; a listing of most owners and or renters; a keyed map of homes and farms. The cover picture of the school was drawn by Mamie Scharf.

Teachers on hand for the reunion were: Margaret Beeckler Retzlaff of Verona, 1943-44; Esther Braatz Silbernagel, Beaver Dam, 1929-32; Mariah Davis Mortimer, Loyal 1915-17; Theodora Gallagher Kintzele, Neillsville, 1920-21; Glyde Graves Steinich, Neillsville, 1933-36; Mamie Gardner Scharf, Granton, 1944-52; Russell Gardner, Granton, 1937-42; Bertha Holt, Greenwood, 1955-59; and Cecilia Poziombke, Neillsville, 1942-43.

Pupils attending from out of state were as follows; Richard Ableiter, Carlton, Mn.; Lillian Back Beers, Cary, Il.; Paul Back and Myrna Searls Giertz, Chicago, Il; Sara Mae Davis Manley and Ursula Davis Carlson, Minneapolis, Mn.; Kathryn Downer Witte, Lakeland, Fl.; Louise Elmhorst Tyler, Belvidere, Il.; Audrey Henninger Klein, Ron Hetzel and Bernice Wright Hooper, St. Paul, Mn.; Neva Kier Jilly, Ingleside, Il.; Edward Knaak, Wichita Ks.; Sharon Nickel Youngblom, Pillager, Mn.; Lyle Rogers, Spokane, Wa.; Merle Rogers, San Diego, Ca.; Cleo Rowe Crisman, Lansing, Mi.; Dorrance Searls, Deerfield, Il.

Present from Loyal were, Neva Benedict Lulloff, Nyle Benedict, Alvin Dahl and Inger Searls Free; from Owen, Violet Walker Bender, Byrl Rowe and Ruth Bender Strey; from Greenwood, Angeline Davis Schultz and Alice Searls Richert; from Neillsville, William (Bill) Davis, Elmer Elmhorst, Viva Kier Diercks, Estelle Krejci, Darlene Krejci Celar, Hazel Peaslee Lezotte, Bernard Pietenpol and Virginia Thiemke Elmhorst; from Marshfield, Herbert Doering, Shirley Mullins Geldernick, Ralph Rogers, Shelby Tremelling Weister and Frank Wierenzenski.

Granton was represented by Erlin Dahl, Judith Dahl Walter, Warren Davis, Dick Eibergen, Bert Hales, Evelyn Hales Dudei, Jeanette Hales Steiner, Clarence Hoesly, Mary Krejci Hales, Helen Mortimer Sisson, Ruth Pietenpol, Donald Rowe, Milford Rowe, Verla Rowe Hales, Harold Searls, Eugene Walter, Jr., Eugene Walter, Sr., Bernice Wierenzenski Tucker, and Freda Wierenzenski Frischman.

Attending from other Wisconsin communities were JoAnn Dahl Haskins and Bob Grabe, Berlin; Edith Dorst Zepplin, Schofield; Nell Dorst Shellman, Suring; Marjorie Hales Eid, Winneconne; Verona Hales Hainz, West Allis; Lavonne Henninger Horvat, Willard; James Carrol Knaak, Oshkosh; Dorthy Korth Meyer, Elk Mound; Walter Korth, Cambridge; Ray Mullins, Riplinger; Evelyn Nonhoff Moore, Milwaukee; Glen Nonhoff, Elm Grove; Norma Rogers, Wisconsin Rapids; Jean Root Allorie, Merrill; Zola Root Lynch, Kimberly; Shirley Rowe Gilbert, Minocqua; Lorene Searls Doudna, Richland Center; Joan Thiemke Elmhorst, Rudolph; Martha Voigt Dankemyer, Chili; Clayton Wright, Eau Claire; Ferne Wright Herian, East Troy; Kathryn Wright Goeckermann, Brookfield; and Vera Wright Healy Clintonville.