News: Granton-Honored Citizens (Bill/Edna Lehman - 1977)

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

Surnames: Lehman, Dageford, Miller, Smith, Fox

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 9/08/1977

Granton-Honored Citizens (Bill and Edna Lehman - 1977)

Bill and Edna Lehman, long-time school employees at Granton, have been selected as “Citizens of the Year” in the village of Granton. They will be honored at the annual Granton Fall Festival September 9 through 11.

The Lehmans were born in Tigerton, Shawano County, and attended schools there. They were married in 1924 and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary three years ago. They moved to the Granton area in 1932 and farmed until they moved to their present home on the north edge of the village in 1947.

They raised a family of seven children that are scattered to the far corners of the country. Raimon lives in Fairfax, Va., and is a retired Army Colonel who is now teaching in a university, Delores (Mrs. R. Dageford) lives in St. Paul, Jim works for General Electric in Louisville, Ky., Elroy works for an oil company in Tripoli, Libya, Africa, June (Mrs. Gene Miller) teaches school in Grand Island, Nebraska, Gladys (Mrs. Mel Smith) lives in Appleton and Carole (Mrs. Carole Fox) works in Minneapolis. All the children have married and the Lehmans have 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

The Lehmans raised their seven children during the depression years and the family knows the meaning of thrift. Edna sewed all of the girls’ clothes as well as the boys shirts. Bill cut the kids hair until they were in high school. They always have had a big garden and 500 quarts of fruits and vegetables in the cellar was common as fall approached. Edna remembers well when the three oldest boys went off to service, Bill had a bad back, and she and the girls had to run the farm.

Edna took time off to raise her family and then worked five years at the Bee Hive in Marshfield. She had worked in the school cafeteria for over 20 years and still comes in every day to help serve the noon meal.

Bill started as school custodian in 1949 and retired in 1967 when he was 67 years old. He can recall stoking the furnace in the two buildings by hand, sweeping all the rooms and taking care of the entire school by himself for several years before additional help was secured. He started at 5:30 a.m., and many a night during winters he would go back to school at midnight to fire up the furnaces so it would be warm in the morning. Overtime pay was unheard of then.

The Lehmans are in good health and attend church services every Sunday at Zion Lutheran. Mr. Lehman’s legs bother him, and he had to give up cutting his lawn this summer but enjoys visiting and watching television. Edna has many hobbies which include caring for the flowers she grows, doing needlework, crocheting and knitting and working with Arts and crafts.

They are proud of their family for all the children have done well and they reflect back to 1973 when they went to Germany for a month’s visit. Edna is referred to as “one of the best cooks in the community.” In commenting on the award, they say “Granton is a friendly community and our association with the school and the students have been rewarding. We like it here.”

The graduation class of 1966 at Granton dedicated their yearbook to the Lehmans. The Lehmans will ride in the parade on Sunday, September 11, as the Citizens of the Year.