Article contributed by: Larry Grady
(transcription of article below)
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This is the 29th in a series of articles sponsored by the Oconto, County Teacher's Association to promote better re1ations in the schools of our county. The articles were originally published in 1953 and 1954 by the Oconto County Times-Herald. The first Victory School was organized in 1872 in the Town of Oconto. In 1903, this school was moved to the present location on Highway 22. In 1911, the present school building was built at a cost of $2,850. It is a cement block building with two rooms and a cement floor in the basement. At the present time, there are forty-two children enrolled in the school. The school has a central heating plant and plans are made to install running water this year. The children listened to educational radio programs. They had their own conservation corner, and went on field trips. The "high light" of the year's work was a trip to Green Bay on the train and their tour through the bird sanctuary. The present school board members are Mrs. Art Bitters, Clerk; Bernard Young, director, and Wilbur Hayes, treasurer. Mrs. Ursula Whiting is the Principal and Mrs. Maysel Crawford is the Primary Teacher. From Norma D. Skroch: There was a time Oconto County was dotted with rural school houses. In 1957 a state law was passed to gradually close all the rural schools and bus the students into the larger city schools. This was Victory School. State Graded #4, located on the southeast corner of Hwy 22 and J. It was made of cement blocks and had two classrooms. This 1930 group of 50 students was taught by Alice Belongia (Hoffman) and Mina Jarvis. All eight grades were taught as long as there was a student for each grade. Familiar names appear in the roster of teachers. Just to mention a few - Mary Valentine, Mary Agnes DeCloux, Beatrice Tracy, Clara Bailey, and Ruth Powell. The fate of the building was sad for those who remembered their school years there was fondness. It became a factory where cement vaults were manufactured. Later it was torn down and today there is a small community of houses on that same corner. |
contributed by: Pat Drees
newspaper and date unknown
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Back row, left to right; Ann Rudolph, Frita Schaefer, Eleanor Longrie, Lula Demmith, Henrietta Young, Ethel DeWindt, Burton Bitters, Frank Murphy, Miss Alice Belgonia and Miss Mina Jarvis, teachers.
Row two - Orville DeWindt, Raymond Daul, Robert DeCloux, Ernest Schaefer, Lyle Bitters, Ernest Demmith, Ward Bell.
Row three- Herman Rudolph, Gordon Young, Dick Murphy, Harvey Powell, Martin Zernicke, Peter Daul, Margaret Daul, Helen Murphy, Geraldine Wigeman, Clara Bell, Dorothy Van Hefty.
Row four - Bernard Wigeman, Stanley Cota, Milton Exfert, Walter Schaefer, Marvin DeWindt, Doris O'Niel, Magdalene DeCloux, Regis Zernicke, Margie Bell, LaVern Ragen, Marian Bell.
Row five - Ruth VanHefty, Joe Daul, Tom Murphy, Harry Schaefer, Leo Rudolph, Harvey Hayes, Alan Young, Calvin Bitters, Bernetta Ragen, Marian DeWindt, Delores Ragen, Shirley Cote.