CEDAR COUNTY, NEBRASKA - CHILDREN NOW GO TO SCHOOL... ==================================================================== NEGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the NEGenWeb Archives by Carol Tramp Permission granted by: Rob Dump, Editor, Cedar County News ====================================================================== CEDAR COUNTY NEWS May 16, 1929 CHILDREN NOW GO TO SCHOOL WHERE PARENTS HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED, EDUCATED AND MARRIED Oldest of all the schoolhouses in Cedar county, still in use at Brooke's Bottom school, which in days of old, also served as a missionary chapel where the parents of its present pupils were baptized and taught to worship on Sunday, where they learned reading and 'riting and 'rithmetic on week days, and where later they were married. With its sixty years of service the old building has picked up much from the ways of the generations that have come and gone. In a wry old way, the building now poses as a much younger one, and even deceives the casual passerby. Having had its face lifted again and again, having been puttied here and patted there to break up wrinkles, and having been twice removed from its original site, it really has succeeded in keeping up appearances. White paint administered again and again keeps it one of the best looking buildings in its community, giving it a shine that can be seen miles away. A new foundation added this year gives it sufficient nerve to carry on its deceptions. But a glimpse of its inside, the schoolroom, tells the real story. The old walls and ceiling, the old double desk, richly carved with names that bespeak associations found nowhere else in the county, these tell the years of service the old building has given. But even this reality has not been given up without a struggle to appear youthful - for the walls have outlasted three series of new schoolroom equipment and give every indication of outlasting many more. Built originally on the old John Brocke land, so long ago that folks now living cannot tell just when, although they are sure it was either in the late sixties or early seventies, the first site of a building has long since been washed away by the Missouri River. Among the men active in getting this early school which is believed the first school in Cedar County was John Brocke, for whom it was named, although the spelling has often been slightly changed during the years. Mr. Brocke who came to the county about the same time as did the Wiseman family, is the father of Mrs. August Lubeley, George Beste, and Mrs. Frank Thoman. His old homestead is now being farmed by his great-grandson, Emery Lubeley, whose house includes four rooms of the old Brocke log cabin. The bottom was named after Mr. Brocke because he was the first white man to come to the community to live. One other man was there before Mr. Brocke but he left, while Mr. Brocke built a home and remained for the rest of his life. Since his time the river has eaten his old land until now the grandchildren have not even a tree that used to be on the old yard. For many years a large elm tree that used to be on the front yard, still stood along the river banks, but even it had washed away this spring. Others on the first and early school boards were Herman Koch, grandfather of the four Koch children now going to school there, Fred Reifenrath and Theodore Beste, who was a member for 40 years. Mr. Beste is the only man now living who was a founder and backer of the school. Built before the Bow Valley church, the school was used as a mission chapel for many years, even as late as 1900. At this time an addition was built at the rear of the building. Folding doors closed it off during the schooldays, while on Sunday it was opened to reveal the sanctuary and the pulpit. Father Schoff from the St. Helena Catholic church came there to hold religious services. Among the babies he baptized were Christ and Joe Satorius, Alex Koch, several of the Bergman, Reifenrath, and Beste children, all of whom are now influential residents of Cedar county. All these children went to school there, as did Richard and Laura Wiseman, the latter now Mrs. Laura Lawson of Wynot and Louis Goetz of Hartington. After their school days, many of the former pupils returned to be married there. Mr. and Mrs. Christ Satorius were married in the old school on May 27, 36 years ago. Their two daughters, Gertrude, now Mrs. Brown and Beatrice, now Mrs. Barry Hansen both of Sioux City, having taught several terms in the building. Mr. and Mrs. August Lubeley of Hartington were among the latest to be married in the church, their ceremony having taken place January 23, 1900. Not only has the school turned out leaders in Cedar county life, and a state senator Hon. John H. Reifenrath of Crofton, but it also has had some excellent teachers. Among the first were George Hoof and Joe O'Gara, probably Cedar county's most famous man, both of whom are now deceased, Frank O'Gara, Nellie O'Flatherty, now Mrs. Sullivan of Colorado Springs, Colorado, George Plimleigh (?), brother of the well known Phil, H.H. Schulte of Wynot, and Anna O'Gara now Mrs. Herman Rolfes, of California. George Beste of Hartington recalls that while Joe O'Gara taught there, he won a gold medal as a scholarship, although he hadn't been able to find it among his possessions now, much as he would like to Frank O'Gara also went to school there while his brother, Joe was teaching, he took advanced work. One of the first teachers of Louis Goetz was a man with only one leg by the name of Blake. The first equipment of the old school would hardly be considered equipment today, It consisted of rough benches. Later a certain kind of paper painted black was put up along the walls, and the school located blackboards. When the building was first moved back from the river, it was on the August Reifenrath land. This moved took place about 35 years ago. Just before the school opened this fall it was moved to the Christ Satorius land and deposited in the middle of a corn field - about a mile from the river so that "the water couldn't get it." Among the recent teachers have been Lavina Beste, 1910, Pauline Walz, 1912, Eunice Johnson, 1913, Helen Walz, 1914, and 1915; Gertrude Satorius, 1916, and 1917; Mary Gerken, 1918, Nora Dugan, 1920, Beatrice Satorius, 1921, Lucina Habel, 1922, Marina Lubeley, granddaughter of the school's founder; Minnie Sorenson, Evelyn Becker, Opal Nedrow, and now Georgia Miller. Miss Miller has 26 pupils, many of the names of whom are not new in the school's history. Katherine Anderson, daughter of Gus Anderson, was not baptized in the school, altho her older sister was, and her mother went to school there. Mr. and Mrs. Steve Asbre, who went to school there have four children enrolled. Valerina, Emmet, Kenneth and Marina. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Asbre who moved away in March also went to the school as did their children, Orville and Henry. Alex Koch who was baptized and went to school there, has four children, going now, Herman, Cyril, Katherine, and Erwin. Other children in school are Ethel, Opal, Dorothy, Donald and Howard. Children of Mr. and Mrs. John T. Thompson; Rachael, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Klanderud; John, William, May and Junior, children of Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Miller, Irene, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F.W. Miller; June, daughter of Mrs. Edith Stewart and Frances, Marie and Gerhart, children of Mr.and Mrs. Theodore Refken, Vivian and Russel, children of Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Johnson. With the river in its background, both historically and geographically, and feeling the green bluffs the school surveys the first rise of the river plains and challenges the years.