Bio: Berrett, Geneva (Retiring - 1976)

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

Surnames: Berrett, Davis

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/03/1976

Berrett, Geneva (Retiring - 1976)

Mrs. Geneva Berrett was honored at the annual dinner of the faculty and employees of the Greenwood schools last Thursday evening. She had been with system since 1945.

The former Geneva Davis is a graduate of the Greenwood High School and began her teaching career by completing the first post-graduate class of teacher training at Neillsville High School in 1926. From there she went to her first rural school with 42 pupils, of which 14 were boys in the fifth through eighth grades, and one was also her age—16. She had started school young and also skipped the sixth grade.

Her salary was $90 per month and she boarded in a home with gas lights. That was the Poppy School. She also taught other schools and later, during the depression years, her salary was $65.

She recalls the years of surplus foods when hot lunches became important. At South Bright School the parents took turns cooking the food, which was then brought to school. Those rural school days were when the teacher brought the Christmas candy for pupils and other youngsters in the district and also the picnic ice cream for everyone.

In all she taught 11 years in rural schools and was teaching the upper elementary at Willard when Consolidation took the school into the Greenwood system.

After receiving a minor in library science, she has been the high school librarian a total of 42 years in the field of education.

On September 28, 1927, she was married to Verland Berrett. They have two children. The Berretts are completing a new home on route 2, Greenwood.

Mrs. Berrett was presented with an engraved watch as her remembrance of the years in Greenwood.

The Book and Reel club had also feted Mrs. Berrett with a dinner several days before.