School: Blackberry

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Klanchar, Chamberlin, Palms, Hadley, Wood, Buroughs, Frank, Glasow, Stracker, Poppe, Elton, Wilms, Decker, Putzel, Carleton, Strangfeldt, Perushek, Seif, Laken, Wagner, Parkel, Adams, Zille, Larson, Heideman, Humboldt, Jahr, Stremikis, Klanchar, Schwamb, Champa, Voight, Tolaney

----Source: Family Scrapbook

The Black Berry School was built in the late 1880's, even before the Foster and North East Railroad was built or came through Tioga.

In 1907 on the 3rd of July, a tornado came through and turned the complete schoolhouse a full turn around. The entrance on the west ended up facing directly east.

The school was built in Section 5, of the town of Seif, on the north-east corner. At the time it was built, it was in the Township of Weston. But in later years, as new townships were voted for, it ended up in the Township of Seif.

Many of the records of the school, especially those that would tell us more history, were probably kept at the school, and after it was sold in 1960 (?), they were disposed of, inadvertently, by the new owners.

A record of the teachers was uncovered by Frieda Klanchar. Starting in September 1901, the first teacher was Arthur Chamberlin, Irma Palms, Burton Hadley, Mary Chamberlin - 2, (most teachers taught one full school term, unless a number follows their name which means the number of terms), Elsie Wood, Florence Buroughs, Bernice Frank, Nora Glasow, Lorena Stracker, Esther Poppe, Helen Elton, Norma Wilms, Elizabeth Glasow - 2, Lillian Decker - 4, Bertha Putzel - 2, Mrs. T. V. Carleton - 2, Mrs. Elizabeth Strangfeldt, Angeline Perushek - 2, Viola Seif, Josephine Laken, Velda Wagner - 2, Donna Marie Parkel, Julia A. Adams, Lovella Zille, Mrs. Gertrude Larson - 5, Willetta Heideman - 2, Mrs. Ruth Humboldt - 2, Mrs. Mildred Jahr, Virginia Stremikis - 2, and last, Frieda Klanchar was hired as a teacher for the 1956-57 school year. The following year, Black Berry School was consolidated with the Greenwood Community Schools, but Frieda continued as a teacher at Blackberry until the school was closed in the spring of 1960.

Some of the board members, in later years were A. Voight, Jerome Stremikis, John Champa, Joe Tolaney Sr., L. Perushek, and Humboldt & Schwamb.

Submitted by: Jennie Tolaney