Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Channing, Reeve, Goodman, Hebert
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/29/2016
Channing Honored at Keystone Elementary School (Reunion - 2016)
Channing Honored at Keystone Elementary School Reunion
Former students from Keystone Elementary School recently got together for the first time in 59 years to say hello again to their teacher, Harry Channing, now of Neillsville.
The year was 1957. Channing, from Bloomer, WI, graduated with his teaching degree from Eau Claire Teacher’s College.
He took his first teaching position at the Keystone School in the Town of Cleveland, located in Chippewa County seven miles west of Cornell on CTH Z.
Keystone School was a one-room country school. Drinking water had to be hand pumped and brought into the school each morning. There were two outhouses, one for the boys and another for the girls.
In the winter, a fire had to be built and kept stoked in the wood stove. Channing had to teach math, science, reading, spelling, social studies, history and much more to grades 1 through 8. It was a daunting task for a 19-year-old fresh out of college.
“On my first day of school, I had to face 28 students and some of them were almost as old as me,” Channing said. “It scared the heck out of me.”
This spring, one of the students wondered what had happened to Channing after 59 years. She Googled his name and came up with a picture and the fact that he was still working as a librarian at a St. John’s Lutheran School in Neillsville.
She sent his picture to her two brothers and two sisters asking if they recognized him. He old brother said the Channing was the guy who had the very cool black and gold 1958 Studebaker Commander.
About an hour later, her brother called her to let her know that he had found Channing’s telephone number and had given him a call. A few minutes later she also gave Channing a call.
This led to more calls from other students, and the idea was born to have a reunion of all the students who attended Keystone School during Channing’s two-year tenure.
Nearly all of the living students attended the reunion. Many said it was a really wonderful to see Channing and their fellow students again.
Since it was a black and gold car that eventually brought the idea for a Keystone School reunion, one of the students fashioned a Studebaker car out of cardboard t o be used as a photo prop. Each student had a picture taken sitting next to Channing inside the replica of the car.
Harry Channing poises for a picture behind the wheel of a cardboard replica of his Studebaker car with former Keystone Elementary School student Marilyn (Reeve) Goodman at the recent school reunion. Reeve was in first grade when Channing began teaching at Keystone Elementary School. (Contributed photo)
“It was a very exciting day that I never dreamed would happen,” Channing said. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
Channing said when he walked into the party he tried to recognize the little kids that were his students almost 60 years ago.
“It’s a good thing they were wearing name tags,” Channing said with a smile. “I spent all the next day reliving the reunion. It was wonderful.”
Several of the students remarked about the great time.
“Those were the good old days,” one student said. “Can you believe how we have all changed? Mr. Channing doesn’t look any older than the rest of us.”
The reunion certainly brought back the memories of a time long gone. One-room country schools were where all of the neighbor kids were friends and acted and felt like family. The word “potluck” meant great food and fun.
Channing went on from Keystone School to receive a Bachelor’s degree. He then taught in the School District of Greenwood for 37 years, 29 of those years mainly as a junior high science teacher.
Channing “retired” in 1997 and began as the St. John’s Church and School librarian in 1998.
“I will continue to serve as the librarian as long as the Lord allows,” Channing said.
(Contributed by former Keystone Elementary School student Jean Hebert)
Former Keystone Elementary School teacher harry Channing, now of Neillsville (seated second from right), enjoys a group photo with many of his previous students from the school at a recent Keystone Elementary School reunion. Channing has been the St. John’s Church and school librarian in Neillsville for almost 20 years. Contributed photo)
