Rural school teacher recalls the 'good, old days'

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

WEST NEWTON -- Former rural school teacher Alpfa Fussner recalled the "good, old days" of her teaching career with school Districts 2, 3, 10, 68 and 182 Sunday at the Harkin Store.

She taught rural school 1933-1940, 1945-1947 and 1968-1971 south of New Ulm.

"I was never too far from home, which was rural Hanska," Fussner said.

She said school was more family-oriented decades ago. She taught all eight grades and students took state board examinations to get into high school. There were never more than four students in one grade where she taught.

"There was lots of one-on-one teaching," Fussner said. "I got every close to the kids and their parents. All the kids came from the same background -- farming. They were all good kids."

The "good old days" don't look so good for teachers, especially the older good old days, around 1870.

Fussner had copies of the rules for school teachers in the 1870s, which include:

* each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day's lesson.

* men teachers may take one night each week for courting purposes, or two nights a week if they go to with regularly.

* after school, teaches must spent the time until supper reading the Bible or other good books.

* women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be discharged.

* every teacher should lay aside from each month's pay a goodly sum for his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.

* any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop, shall give good reason to suspect his worth, integrity and honesty.

* teachers that perform their duties regularly and faithfully, and without fault for five years will be given a pay increase of 25 cents a week.

Fussner said teaching was much different when she returned in 1968 than it was decades earlier. She taught her students everything herself in the thirties and forties.

"The last time I taught there were audio-visual aids and teachers came around with library books and films we could pick out which we never had before," Fussner said.

Fussner attended three years of high school in Hanska before finishing in New Ulm. She graduated in 1932 and began teaching at age 18 after attending a year of teacher training classes in New Ulm High School. Her teacher training instructor was Ida Koch.

She has returned to the Harkin Store the first weekend of September for the fall school program for the past 11 years.

Opal Dewanz of the Harkin Store said she was pleased with the public turnout at the store. One thing she would like to see more of is grade school students visiting the store.

"We get most visits in May, but I'd love to have more," Dewanz said. "Some come from further away and make it a two-day trip, visiting us and Fort Ridgely State Park."

Dewanz said students can play a game of checkers and try on old hats at the store.

"They can get more of a feel of what life was really like back then instead of just reading about it or seeing it in the movies," Dewanz said. "There are very few sites like this left in Minnesota. All schools have to do is call me and make a reservation. We are free to schools. This is the granddaddy of Kmart. One stop shopping is nothing new."

Dewanz provide a history and tour of the store. She said third and fourth grade may be the best age groups to visit the store.

"Those kids are old enough to understand what it's all about and young enough to think it's cool," Dewanz said.

Next Sunday, the Harkin Store will host its Preparing for Winter program from 1-4 p.m. with quilting, knitting, canning, and wood sawing. Dewanz said she is still looking for another man to operate a two-man saw and some wood to saw.