Scott Clow Memories

First Grade - 1958

The following is a copy of an email from Scott Clow toMichael Rustad which is posted here with permission:

Hi Mike,

I sure enjoyed your article on the 1958 Whip. It broughtback a lot of

memories of the kids that lived around Humboldt back then. I recall that I

did not start school until the fall of 1958. Mrs. MabelEvers was my first

grade teacher. She was gruff and was not noted for havinga lot of humor. I

recall in the first grade that she once shook me for makingfaces at her. I

recall that the first and second grade shared the sameroom then. She was

teaching the second grade on reading and I signed out toattend the rest

room. Just as I was closing the door, I made a face ather and she saw me

doing so. I took off running for the boys bathroom, butas a suprise to me,

the old woman could really move. I was trying to get intothe bathroom,

where girls were not allowed, for a safe area. But, shecame right in after

me and made me come back to the room, after she shook meand reminded me

that making faces was not nice.

I remember Jim Burton used to come down to the first graderoom and walking

us to the library every week. I would invariably checkout "Bambi" and have

my mom read it to me. I would spend a lot of time cryingabout poor Bambi

losing his mother to hunters. I know my mom used to wonderwhy I wanted to

hear that book, over and over again.

Ralph Babcock and I started first grade together. We werebest friends and

unknown to me at the time, he was my second cousin. Irecall telling my mom

that Ralph and I did not need any help getting to schoolthe first day. I

remember going to the 3rd and 4th grade room thinking thatwas our room.

But, we were sent to the first grade room by Gale Hare.

I recall Mrs Evers used to allow us to go out side andplay in the snow. To

be allowed to do that you had to bring an extra pair ofjeans to wear over

our school jeans. I would pack them in a paper grocerybag, and would leave

them at the front of the bus. I would forget them andwould have to play

inside, while the other kids played outside.

I also remember the older kids outside in the spring, playingbaseball. One

of the kids hit a baseball into the window of the firstgrade room. It went

through the outer window, but did not go all the way through. I remember

Mrs Evers said to me, I can't figure out how you can seewhat's going on in

class and see what's going on outside at the same time.

Do you remember those old yellow lunch tickets that wegot. The teachers

had blue ones. They had tabs on them that would be tornoff for each meal.

After it was done, they would give you the rest of theticket to throw away.

I remember Ralph Babcock saved those yellow stubs and hadquite a large

collection. I remember Mrs. Evers would keep the ticketsand would call off

our names before lunch to come up and get our tickets. I remember one time

that she called me by my first name, Miles, and I justsat there wondering

who Miles was. She yelled at me for not coming up to getmy ticket. I told

my folks about that and they must have talked to her becauseshe never

called me Miles again.

I also remember how pretty I thought Peggy Feick was. Her father, Bud,

farmed the land to the north of our farm. He would stopat our yard and get

water and would visit from time to time. He always calledme "Captain", and

I would look forward to his visits. He was always so kindto me.

I also recall during Halloween that year, our family wasdriving home and

Grace Dykhuis was riding with us. We drove by Bill Dykhuis'syard and we

stopped. My dad and Grace got out in the dark and walkedback to Bill's

yard and tipped his outhouse over. As I recall he blamedIver Cleem for

tipping it over.

Well, I better get going, have a good time with the memories,as it is very

much appreciated by me.

Scott