Dishing with Mark & Carrie 7-23-13 | MCFilm.co MCFilmFest.com

I often get questions on why I get so motivated and committed in community affairs and what is my drive? Here is a letter about my Grandmother Noble, my Mother and my teaching aunts, one in her mid nineties and other in her 70’s who wrote this letter.

Nebraska State Officials are specially recognizing and honoring teachers in August 2013 who taught in the early pioneering days in rural 1 room schools. Also for committing to make public education in all of Nebraska, the states top priority.

It was the dedicated caring and sharing drive from my ancestors that created and inspired me.

Here is an email to the Nebraska officials from my fabulous teaching Aunt Sara. Not surprising because of dedication, my 2 elderly aunts and family members are traveling to Nebraska for the cherished honored ceremony!

This is our Annual Family Reunion month also in Red Cloud, Nebraska

Thank You,

Carrie West, Grandson, Son and Nephew

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State of Nebraska Dept. of Education

Subject: :Nebraska One Room One Teacher

To Tracy Lungrin

Hi, my name is Sarabelle Noble Graves from Everett, Washington formerly of Inavale, Nebraska—many years ago!!!

My niece, Marilyn Wegner, kindly forwarded information concerning the One Room, One Teacher to me months ago. Busy-ness is no excuse, but it came in December—and by the time I got back to the email, I felt it was much too late, so I didn’t procede to do anything. Marilyn just recently resent info and urged me to send something. I realize this is probably TOOO late, and TOOO wordy, but I will just try emailing it to you to do whatever—even the waste basket!!
If nothing else, it has been a delightful time spent recalling those days long passed and praising God for my Nebraska Noble heritage!!

What else would I want to grow up to be—but a rural country school teacher!! My earliest recollections (at 3 – 4 years old) were of my 4 “big” sisters coming home on a weekend to our farm home in southwest Webster county. How the house shook with laughter and merriment as each one shared their week teaching at their school with each other and decided which clothes they would exchange so their pupils would think they had a large wardrobe!! Oldest sis, Irma, the driver of the Model A Ford, picked up Friday evening the 3 others scattered in Webster and Franklin counties where they were boarding during the week. Two in the rumble seat!! The Noble sisters had graduated from Red Cloud High School—Irma,1933: Velma, 1934; Verdell, 1935; and Winnie,1936. And like our mother who graduated from Red Cloud High in 1913, they had taken Normal Training and then began teaching in one room schools. Mother, who instilled a love for teaching into her girls, only taught 1 year before she was married, then began her family—four girls, 2 boys and then 10 years later I was born in 1933!! The best teacher I ever had was my first teacher—and she was my sister, Velma! What a good start she got me off to! There were only 3 of us pupils at District #69 that year! District #69 was where my father and his siblings attended in the 1890’s and then all six of my siblings were there first through 8th grade.

By the time I entered Red Cloud High School in 1947, Normal Training had just been phased out.

So upon graduating in 1951, I joined several other girls from our class and began summer school at Kearney State Teachers’ College. We also took the post session. September found me teaching at Spring Valley in Franklin County, the very school my oldest sister had taught, years before. I boarded with an Aunt and Uncle as had my sister. Two of the three 8th graders who were taking the grade over, were 15 years old—and one’s brother who hadn’t passed, found out there was a young teacher, almost came back, but joined the Navy instead!! Phew!! I was teaching 3 months before I turned 18!

The next summer, my mother joined me attending Kearney State for her first time in college!! She confided to the registrar, “I suppose it’s foolish to even try at my age.” The registrar replied, “Why Mrs. Noble, there was a lady just last week registered who was 55 years old!!” Mother just smiled to herself as she was over 60 at the time!! “Twas a fun summer back with several of my friends from the previous summer, but also to be with my Mom, who roomed with an older lady.

Then in the fall Mother and I taught one-room schools both within driving distance from our home, so we were able to live at home. We shared experiences and ideas!! It had been 40 years since she had taught and did a super job!

During the year I took off-campus courses and correspondence courses from the UN, so I did not return to Kearney that summer, but Mother did! And I decided if I were going to teach again, I wanted to be adventuresome, so talked a couple friends to also apply in Cherry County, cowboy country!! The three of us got adjoining schools but many sand hills miles apart!!

We’d drive back together to our homes, 150 miles south about once a month. It was a great experience teaching progressive ranch kids! A 7th & 8th grader drove their 4th grade brother in their parents late model car to school as did a 5th grader drive his 4th grade and kindergarten siblings to school over the sandhill “trails”!! We three schools combined and prepared a beautiful Easter musical for our communities.

My mother continued teaching and going several summers to KSTC until she was passed 70 years old! I however, took a different road.

I had met my husband-to-be who had been in Missionary training, after my first year of teaching. We had become engaged the winter I was teaching in the Sand Hills. After much prayer we felt God would have him to go on ahead of me to the Philippines. I would finish my teaching contract, then go into Missionary Training. 20 months later I sailed to the Philippines to join Marvin and we were married three weeks later, January, 1956. A school for missionary children was being prayed about by the missionary community with plans being formed. A year later, Faith Academy came into being. I taught 4th grade for a year and a half, and later spent 3 years as librarian. Faith Academy became and is still the largest US certified school in the world with over 500 K – 12th grade students.

I treasure my heritage and rural school experiences in Nebraska! A foundation that has served me well as I and my husband of 57 years have served and continue serving the Lord in missions until now. We live in Everett, Washington.

My 95 year old sister Verdell in Wisconsin and I are the only Noble school teacher “girls” left.

Mrs Sarabelle Noble Graves (my aunt)

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