The Browne School Teachers - 1920/1921: Olive Male

In the fall of 1920, Olive Male* followed either Gertrude Nealis or Allene Griffin teaching at the Browne school.     Gertrude married just days prior to the 1920 US Census, so it's most likely Allene Griffin taught the 1920 school winter and spring semester at the Browne school.      Olive taught for the 1920 - 1921 school year.

Olive Male was born in Malta township, DeKalb county, Illinois on March 13, 1902 to Martha (Osmundson) and Ole Male.    Olive first appears in the 1910 US Census living (lines 23 - 30) with her parents and siblings, Oscar, Peter, Ella, Jennie and Laura.    The family was residing in Malta township, DeKalb county, Illinois.

Olive went through the confirmation process and was confirmed at her church, Calvary Lutheran in Milan township, DeKalb county on September 15, 1915.

Olive is sitting the furthest to the left in the photo above.

The 1920 US Census shows the Male family is still living in Malta township.   Olive was living (lines 32 - 38) with her parents, Ole and Martha and her siblings, Peter, Ella, Jennie and an adopted brother, Roland Vollow.     The census indicates Olive is not employed.

Olive Male made the news on page 8 of the May 26, 1922 issue of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle when they reported Olive hosted an ice cream social at her school.   The name of the school was not mentioned, but it would have been a rural school in Milan township following her 1920 - 1921 teaching assignment at the Browne school.

Unrelated to her profession as a teacher, Olive Male was involved in a car accident on September 3, 1922 as reported on the front page of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle in their September 5, 1922 issue.

 

In 1930, the US Census indicates Olive Male had moved to Sioux City, Woodbury county, Iowa and was teaching as a public school teacher.     Olive was living (lines 44 - 46) in the household of Aida Smith and her son Kenneth.

Two years later, on July 30, 1932 at the First Lutheran Church in Lee county, Illinois, Olive Male and Reverend Sakarias Harry (Fredrickson) Stoutland.

The 1940 US Census lists Olive (Male) Stoutland living (lines 12 - 16) in the village of Creston, Dement township, Ogle county, Illinois with her husband, Harry and their children Frederick, Martha and Oliver.    Olive is not listed as being employed.    This was common among single female schoolteachers.  Often they dropped out of the workforce following a marriage.

Olive (Male) Stoutland passed away February 26, 1986 in DeKalb, DeKalb county, Illinois and was laid to rest at the Union cemetery in Alto township, Lee county, Illinois next to the Calvary Lutheran Church located across the country line in Milan township, DeKalb county, Illinois.    

Olive's obituary appeared in the February 27, 1986 edition of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle.

Olive's memorial can be viewed here.

*Male is spelled Mæle in Norway from Nedre Mæle, Årdal, Rogaland, Norway.    Årdal is a local parish within the parish of Hjelmeland in the county of Rogaland.