Berrien County Genealogy Project presents...

Berrien County Rural Schools

Copyright 2002 - 2009, Brenda Sears, Baroda, MI 49101 -- All rights reserved CONTACT

NEW: PICTURES below this chart! If you have a school picture and would like to submit it for this page, please send it through the CONTACT link above. Highlighted school names are pictured below the table. Brenda Sears

Antoik - Berrien #2  Elm Valley - Weesaw #8  North Shore - Benton #2 
Arden - Royalton #5 Eureka - Pipestone #1 Oak Forrest - Bertrand #9
Avery - Three Oaks #1 Evans - Lincoln #4 Oak Grove - Berrien #7
Bacon - Royalton #4 Fairland - Niles #21 Olive Branch - Galien #7
Bainbridge - Bainbridge #7 Fairplain - Benton #5 Painter - Berrien #12
Bakertown - Bertrand #7  First - Pipestone #7 Painter - Weesaw #7
Bard - Benton #10 Forrest - Bertrand #5 Pearl - Benton #3
Barnhardt - Niles #10 Forrest Hill - Bertrand #9 Penn Yan - Bainbridge #3
Baroda - Baroda #2 Franklin - Berrien #2 Pier - Hagar #5
Baroda - Lake #2 Galien Township - Galien #5 Pollywog - Bertrand #9
Basswood - Three Oaks #1 Gard - St. Joseph #1 Pucker Street - Berrien #20
Batton - Galien #8 Gardner - Weesaw #4 Pyle - Weesaw #6
Beaver Dam - Galien #3 (click to view brochure) Germany - New Buffalo #4 Range Line - Niles #9
Bedinger - Oronoko #6 Geyer - Niles #14 River - Sodus #5
Bell #48 - Niles #2 Gitchell - Bertrand #10 (click to view pic) Riverside - Hagar #6 (click to view pics))
Berrien Springs #52 - Oronoko #1 (see pictures) Glendora - Weesaw #1 Riverside - Chikaming #3
Bertrand - Niles #4 Gray - Coloma #3 Royal - Royalton #3
Boyer - Bainbridge #6 Hand - Berrien #3 Ruggles - Baroda #3
Boynton - Benton #14 Harbert - Chikaming #4 St. Joseph Valley - Niles #21
Brandywine Jr. High - Niles #2 Hatfield - Niles #8 St. Joseph Valley - Berrien #4
Bridgman - Lake #7  Hathaway - Lake #8 Sawyer - Chikaming #2
Brick - Bainbridge #4 Hills - Baroda #1 Shanghai - Pipestone #3
Brick - Niles #13 Hills Corners - Weesaw #1 Shawnee - Oronoko #7
Broceus - Buchanan #3 Hinchman - Oronoko #2 Sleepy Hollow - Niles #7
Brong - Weesaw #4 Holbrook - New Buffalo #3 Sodus - Sodus #2
Bronson - Bertrand #12 Holmes - Bertrand #20 Sorter - Benton #4
Brown - St. Joseph #2 Hollywood - Royalton #6 South - Galien #7
Browntown - Chikaming #6 Howe - Bertrand #6 (click to view pics) South Lincoln - Lincoln #5
Buckhorn - Royalton #5 Hull - Benton #6 Spinks Corners - Bainbridge #5
Bundy - Hagar #1 (Opened 1844) Indian Hills - Buchanan #8 Spring Brook - New Buffalo #3
Burg - Bainbridge #12 Ingraham - Coloma #4 Spring Creek - Three Oaks #1
Burke - Oronoko #4 I. X. L. - Pipestone #11  Stanley - Benton #7
Burke - Pipestone #16 Johnson - Benton #8 Stevensville - Lincoln #6
Byers - Bainbridge #8 Kansas - Bertrand #2 Stewart - Lincoln #2
California - Lake #5 Kelsev - Buchanan #7 Stickney - Watervliet #5 (click to view pic)
Cedar Lane - Niles #12 Knight - Oronoko #3 Stump - Sodus #13
Center - Bainbridge #7 (click to view pic) Lafayette - Benton #9 Tabor - Sodus #6
Chadwick - Sodus #1 Lakeshore - Benton #2 Thompson - Niles #6
Chikaming - Consolidated #39 Lakeside - Chikaming #1 Tryon - Royalton #2
Clymer - Coloma #8 Lamb - Bertrand #8 Union Pier - New Buffalo #5
Collins - Pipestone #15 Landon - Baroda #4 Wagner - Buchanan #5
Coloma - Coloma #1 LaSalle - Berrien #11 Waldron - Galien #7
Columbia - Pipestone #4 Liberty - Berrien #11 (click to view pics) Walnut - New Buffalo #2
Colvin - Buchanan #6  Long Lake - Berrien #1 (click to view pic) Washington - Coloma #7
Coveney - Buchanan #4 Maple Grove South - Berrien #8 Wilson - Galien #7
Cowles - Sodus #15 Maple Grove North - Berrien #9  View below Wilson - New Buffalo #4
Cribbs - Bainbridge #2 Martindale - Benton #12 Winkler - Niles #4
Currier - Bertrand #8 Matchett Peak - Niles #11 Witherel - Royalton #1
Curtis - Hagar #2 Mead - Niles #5 Womer - Bertrand #4
Dayton - Bertrand #1 Millburg - Benton #1 Yellow Mill - Niles #3
DeMott - Niles #9 Miller - Buchanan #2 St. Paul's Lutheran- Stevensville
Dutch Corners - Bertrand #3 Mt. Pleasant - Sodus #4 Lutheran - Bridgman
Eaman - Hagar #4 Mt. Tabor - Oronoko #5  Lutheran - Sawyer
Eau Claire - Pipestone #10 National - Berrien #5 S. D. A.* - Berrien Springs
Eaton - Weesaw #5 New Troy - Weesaw #3 Lutheran - Berrien Springs
Electric Light - Niles #3 North Lincoln - St. Joseph #3 Lutheran - Glendora

OTHER SCHOOLS not listed here:

Three Oaks School - Three Oaks (click to view)

NOTES:

*S. D. A. - Seventh Day Adventist

Long Lake School - Submitted by Daundra Baker

This is an enlargement of students from the picture below.

Daundra's grandmother is Harriet "Hattie" Victoria Fox (1895-1967) in front row with her hands crossed.

If you can assist in identifying the students, contact Brenda.

Long Lake School - Submitted by Daundra Baker

Daundra's grandmother is Harriet Victoria Fox, (1895-1967) the girl in the second row from the left in very back leaning out to have a look-see.

If you can assist in identifying the students, contact Brenda.

 

Three Oaks School , 1889 - Submitted by Dan Klute

Dan's great-grandfather, Charles Peter Klute, is in the middle row, second boy from right.

If you can assist in identifying the students, contact Brenda. (see below for another pic from this school)

Howe, Bertrand Township (Bertrand #6) - Submitted by Dan Klute

Jan 1950

Thank you to Russell B. Clifton for the following information: "This school served the area known as Portage Prarie. A book entitled "THE STORY OF PORTAGE PRAIRIE", written by Alma V. Hartline. Copies of this book are available in both the Buchanan, Michigan and South Bend, Indiana Libraries".

IDENTIFIED:

Aunt to Dan Klute, Mary Imogene (Marigene) Klute (maiden name) is in this picture and Dan's uncle James Anthony Klute (bottom row, first boy on left), and his father Charles Franklin Klute (bottom row, 4th boy from left).

In the second row from the front, third child from the right is Betty Ann Clifton, daughter of Russell T. Clifton and Clara L. Clifton. She married Dale Mitchell of rural South Bend, Indiana. Both she and her husband are now deceased. This information is from Russell B. Clifton, brother of Betty Ann.

If you can assist in identifying the students, contact Brenda. (see below for another pic from this school)

Howe, Bertrand Township (Bertrand #6) - Submitted by Dan Klute

Feb 21, 1955

The row in the back, directly in front of the left blackboard, 2nd girl from the left, is Betty Ann Clifton, daughter of Russell T. Clifton and Clara L. Clifton. She married Dale Mitchell of rural South Bend, Indiana. Both she and her husband are now deceased. This information is from Russell B. Clifton, brother of Betty Ann.

 

Liberty School, Berrien Center (Berrien #11)- Submitted by Cathy Benedict

Circa 1922.

Back row (left to right): Second girl in (front of door frame) with short hair w barette on her rt. side is Helen May Staley (1908-1981)

Second row (left to right): Louise Sharpe (long dark ringlets).

Third row (left to right): There are only 2 children in this row. The girl on the far right in front of a gal with a very large black bow is Eloise Ann Staley (1913-2002), sister to Helen May Staley

If you can assist in identifying the students, contact Brenda. (see below for another pic from this school)

 

Liberty School, Berrien Center (Berrien #11) - Submitted by Cathy Benedict

Circa 1900 - Darwin Sharpe was the teacher. He is located just to the left of the pole on the left side of the porch.

If you can assist in identifying the students, contact Brenda.

Berrien Springs High School - submitted by Cathy Benedict

The next two pictures date about 1927 - Harold Sharp is third from right side. If you can assist in identifying the students, contact Brenda.

Berrien Springs High School - submitted by Cathy Benedict

In the picture below Harold Sharp (#27) is holding the ball. If you can assist in identifying the students, contact Brenda.

 

Berrien Springs High School - submitted by Cathy Benedict

Girls basketball team. If you can assist in identifying the students, contact Brenda.

GITCHELL School, Bertrand #10 - Submitted by Sierra Holcomb Wagner

She wrote: "...I attended this wonderful one-room red brick schoolhouse from 1st grade to 6th grade. It was located on the corner of Portage Rd and Old Chicago Rd off M-60 West. Berrien Co, Bertrand Twp, Niles, MI. It had an outhouse when I started (attending) and my Dad, Munsey Holcomb, and Janet Tibbs Dad, Bob (Tibbs), put indoor plumbing in. Us kids thought we were in heaven. No more cold trips outside or bees in the Spring. I have tried to find some history on this school but to no avail. I did find some reference of it's existance in the 1860's. One year we had our picture in the paper for being the smallest school in the district. We had 9 kids in the whole school. K-8. It was odd to have so many one-room schools in the 50's and 60's. I was honored to go there as Mrs. Payne was a wonderful teacher and gave all of us the one-on-one attention that we needed. The school is now a house, but the memories are still there. It was a treat to ring the bell from a huge rope in the long front hall. Dodgeball in the wintertime. It was the best".

Thanks for sharing Sierra!

Beaver Dam - Galien #3 - Submitted by Cathy Yost

Center School, Bainbridge #7, circa late 1920s

Submitted by Linda Reineberg-Gonzalez: http://www.reinebergfamily.com

Bottom row (left to right) Victor Vinton, Harold Rickerman, Dean McMann, Phillip Lee, Lester James.

Second row (left to right) Kathryn Hampton, Elizabeth Krumm, Margaret Hampton, Anna Loush, Warren Straub, Vera James, Edward Krumm.

Back row (left to right) Henry Krumm, Stanley Dickey, Donald McMann, Dorothy McMann, Leona Strauf, Orville Roundy, Teacher is Gladys James.

Linda Reineberg-Gonzalez mother is Margaret Hampton Reineberg, her aunt is Kathryn Hampton Lozmack.

Stickney School, Watervliet #5 - Submitted by Twilla Brooks

Mrs. Hackett's class of abt 1931. Twilla Brooks is in the 2nd row, 3rd child (left to right), her brother Richard Brooks is next to her. According to Mrs Brooks, the teacher is Mrs. Hackett, she also remembers some students in this class: The names are incomplete but she remembers surnames Long, Beasley, Schoonover (sp) and remembers Calvin Bama, Corlas(sp) Bama, Wanda Lavely, Gordon Vandresick, Rayna and June Phillips, Gloria Gunn and Ila Dolittle. If you can identify children in this photo, contact me and I will list them here. Thanks again to Twilla Brooks and her son Timothy McCoy for this submission.

Maple Grove North, #9 - Submitted by Cindy (Howard) Murphy

Mrs. Hackett's class of abt 1931. The little girls with the necklaces in the front row are Reba and Anna Gardner now Anna Sommer.

See more pictures from this school below. If you can assist in identifying the students, contact Brenda.

Maple Grove North School, #9 - Submitted by Cindy (Howard) Murphy

1901

Back row (left to right): 1st child is Olga Tibbs

Middle row (left to right): 5th child is Anna Gardner, 6th child is Reba Gardner

Front row (left to right):

Maple Grove North, No. 9 - Submitted by Cindy (Howard) Murphy

April 11, 1900

Back row (left to right): 3rd child from left is possibly Olga Tibbs.

Middle row (left to right): Anna Gardner is 3rd from the left, Reba Gardner is 4th from the left and brother Hugh Gardner is on the end, standing in the dark sweater.

Front row (left to right):

Riverside School / Hagar #6 - Submitted by Kirk Vandenberg

The following three schools are Riverside School / Hagar #6, Kirk also submitted a list of students and is uncertain which students/picture the list identifies.

If you can assist in identifying the students, contact Brenda.

1st (Row?): Ed LaViolette, Joe Virgo, Erick Noach, Herb Chabot, Hulda Storick, (Benny Marsala), Lila Frazee, Mabel Merrill, Anna(? hard to read) Marsala, Teacher Eva Paul, Edna Storick

2nd (Row?): Sam Pecoraro, Alfred Chabot, Johnny Frazee, Gladys Elston, Joyce Elson (Elston?), Dorothy Denning, James Hickey, Sophie Frazee, Marie Chabot, Winifred Denning, Fern Elson (Elston?), Irma Kittell, Frances Moshier, Charlie Frazee, Will Chabot, Lee Merrill

3rd (Row?): Mary Pecararo, Katherine Denning, Audi Elston, Emmogene Merrill, Charlie LaViolette, Tina Virgo, Winfired Tousain, Evelyn Moshier, Edith Schaus.

The arrow in the picture below points to James Hickey, grandfather of Kirk Vandenberg. Kirk's great grandmother Mary Jane Broderick Hickey taught at Hagar #6

The following picture of the school in the distance was taken from the James Hickey farm. Copyright Kirk Vandenberg

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