Oak Creek School

"School days, school days

Dear old Golden Rule days

'Reading and 'riting and 'rithmetic,

Taught to the tune of the hick'ry stick

You were my queen in calico

I was your bashful, barefoot beau

And you wrote on my slate, "I Love You, Joe"

When we were a couple o' kids"

This was a popular song when my Grandpa attended
this little one-room schoolhouse in rural Kansas,
in the early 1900's.  I've had the privilege of going inside and
seeing it lovingly restored to the way things were in his day -
wooden desks and chairs with wrought iron legs,
cursive writing charts on the walls, original textbooks,
an American flag, and Kansas state flag at the front of the room -
with Abraham Lincoln and George Washington looking on!
And the teacher's large wooden desk up front.


My grandpa was not able to attend every day, as he had to
work on the farm  (at the age of 16!) -
but he came every day when the family he worked for could spare him.
He was an orphan by that age, but did very well in his life!
Eventually, he married one of the daughter's in that family,
who became my dear grandma -
and the rest, as they say, is history!


And I love and miss him!