The Browne School Teachers - 1945/53: Urban Conrad Monson

The final teacher at the Browne school was Urban Conrad Monson following Betty Marie Peterson who taught the previous school year, 1944 - 1945.    Urban Monson had the longest tenure of any teacher, at least from what I know since the fall of 1906.   He taught for 8 years: 

1945 - 1946, 1946 - 1947, 1947 - 1948, 1948 - 1949, 1949 - 1950, 1950 - 1951, 1951 - 1952, 1952 - 1953. 

Urban Conrad Monson was born February 12, 1883 in Greenville township, New Bedford, Bureau county, Illinois to Hester Ann (Medley) and Benjamin Monson.    He first shows up in the 1900 US Census living (lines 52 - 57) with his parents and brother Arthur.    Also living in the home was the Monson's grandson, George Andeway and a servant by the name of Frederick Dagau.

The earliest document I have found that indicates when Urban began his teaching career was on page 11 of the July 11, 1902 issue of the Bureau County Tribune.    An article appeared mentioning Urban and several other teachers would be attending school at Valparaiso, Indiana.

On August 13, 1905, Urban Conrad Monson married Esther Josephine Nellich at the First Lutheran Church in Princeton, Bureau county, Illinois.    Their entry in the church records is on the left side of the page, the 7th entry for 1905.

In 1910, Urban was still living in Greenville township, Bureau county, Illinois (lines 55 - 57) with his wife, Esther Josephine (Nellich) and their daughter Oreetha.    Urban is listed as being employed as country school teacher.

On July 9, 1917, Urban Conrad Monson was appointed the Postmaster for New Bedford, Bureau county, Illinois.    His appointment is listed in the lower right hand portion of the document below, designated with an arrow.

In 1917, Urban also registered for World War I.     He is listed as both a postmaster and a school teacher.

The 1920 US Census lists Urban living (lines 23 - 28) in Greenville township, Bureau county, Illinois with his wife Esther and their daughters, Oreetha, Mazie, Verla and Virginia.     Urban is listed as being employed as a public school teacher.

By the time of the 1930 US Census, Urban had moved to Malta, Malta township, DeKalb county, Illinois.  He was living (lines 37 - 42) with wife Esther and their daughters, Mazie, Verla, Virginia and Myrna.  Urban is listed as being employed as a principal of a public school.

The 1940 US Census lists Urban living in DeKalb, DeKalb township, DeKalb county, Illinois (lines 41 - 43) with wife Esther and daughter Myrna.    Urban is employed as a rural school teacher.

On April 27, 1942, Urban Conrad Monson registered for World War II.    He is listed as being employed with District 40 in Mayfield township, DeKalb county, Illinois.

Mayfield township is northeast of Milan township.

Urban Conrad Monson passed away January 26, 1955 in DeKalb, DeKalb county, Illinois.    Urban's memorial can be found here.

Urban and many other obituaries can be found at the Joiner Room in Sycamore, DeKalb county, Illinois.  The Joiner Room is an excellent source for family and local history research.  

The Browne School Teachers - 1936/1938: Ethel (Coultas) Pike

Ethel (Coultas) Pike followed the five school terms of Bertha Finnestad at the Browne school.   Ethel taught the 1936 - 1937 and 1937 - 1938 school years.

Ethel Mary (Coultas) Pike was born in Artesia township, Iroquois county, Illinois on May 1, 1884 to Florence E Purinton and William Wallace Coultas.     The 1900 US Census lists Ethel living (lines 64 - 68) with her parents and siblings Bertha and Avis.   The family is living in Cortland, Cortland township, DeKalb county, Illinois.

Ethel's father is listed as a school principal.

Ethel's photo appeared in the yearbook, the Northern in 1904 as a member of the senior class of the Northern Illinois State Normal School.

Ethel Mary Coultas and Oscar Garfield Pike applied for a marriage license and were married on September 15, 1906 in St. Joseph, Berrien county, Michigan.

The marriage was announced on the front page of the November 10, 1906 edition of The True Republican.  The article mentions Ethel graduated from the Normal school and had taught at a school in Berwyn, Cook county, Illinois.

The 1910 US Census lists Ethel Mary (Coultas) Pike living (lines 28 - 30) with her husband Oscar and their son Edwin in Chicago, Cook county, Illinois.

Ethel is not listed as being employed.

The 1920 US Census lists Ethel Pike living (lines 78 - 82) with husband Oscar and their children, Edwin, Mary Jane and Helen Jean living in Shabbona, Shabbona township, DeKalb, Illinois.

Again, Ethel is not listed as being employed.

Ethel's husband, Oscar Garfield Pike passed away on May 29, 1929 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.   His obituary was published on page 5 of the June 6, 1929 edition of the DeKalb County Express.

Oscar's obituary notes that his wife Ethel (Coultas) was the daughter of former County Superintendent of Schools, William Wallace Coultas.

In 1930 the US Census lists Ethel living (lines 1 - 4) with her children Edwin, Mary and Helen in Chicago, Cook county, Illinois.

Ethel is working for a corset company as a corsetier. 

Ethel's father W. W. Coultas passed away May 16, 1932 in DeKalb, DeKalb county, Illinois.  His obituary provides much more detail of his life's journey than most obituaries.   It appeared on page 3 in the May 26, 1932 edition of the DeKalb County Express.

The 1940 US census lists Ethel living (lines 60 - 64) with her daughter, Mary Jane (Pike) Harris, Mary's husband Stanley and their children Nancy and John.    The family is living in Malta, Malta township, DeKalb county, Illinois.

Ethel is listed as a teacher for a rural school.   I do not know which school Ethel taught at following her 2 year stint at the Browne school from 1936 - 1938.

Ethel Mary (Coultas) Pike passed away on August 11, 1969 in DeKalb, DeKalb county, Illinois.  Her memorial can be viewed here.

The Browne School Teachers - 1926/1928: Gertrude Emma (Hanson) Schmieding

Gertrude Emma (Hanson) Schmieding taught at the Browne school for two school years:  1926 - 1927 and 1927 - 1928.    Gertrude followed Bert Male who taught the previous school year. 

Gertrude Emma Hanson was born September 11, 1895 in Grundy county, Illinois to Guro 'Julia' (Samuelsdtr) and Nels Hanson.      In 1900, Gertrude was living (lines 77 - 83) with her parents and siblings, Helen, Nettie, George and Zanie (Zina) in Saratoga township, Grundy county, Illinois.

The 1910 US Census lists Gertrude living (lines 62 - 65) with her mother Julia and two of her siblings, Martin and Zanie (Zina) in Lisbon township, Kendall county, Illinois.

On June 19, 1919, Gertrude married Stanley Schmieding in Grundy county, Illinois.   The marriage register lists Stanley and Gertrude as the 15th entry, license number 10811.

Page 5 of the October 25, 1927 of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle announced Gertrude Schmieding was hosting a basket social at the Browne school on October 31st.

The following day, on October 26, 1927 on page 5 of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle a reminder was posted for the basket social at the Browne school hosted by Gertrude Schmeiding.

Gertrude Emma (Hanson) and Stanely Schmeiding divorced sometime between 1924 and prior to October 27, 1928 when Gertrude married George Irvin Thorwarth  in Geneva, Kane county, Illinois.

The 1930 US Census lists Gertrude living (lines 85 - 88) with her husband, George and her daughter, Marilyn Schmieding and step-daughter Dorothy Thorwarth.    The family was living in DeKalb township, DeKalb county, Illinois.

Gertrude is listed as being employed as a teacher for a rural school.     I do not know which rural school Gertrude was working following her tenure at the Browne school which ended in the spring of 1928.

The 1940 US Census lists Gertrude living (lines 8 - 10) in DeKalb township, DeKalb county, Illinois with her husband George and daughter Marilyn Schmieding.

Gertrude is still employed as a rural school teacher.

Gertrude Emma (Hanson) Schmieding Thorwarth passed away October 18, 1991 in DeKalb county, Illinois.    Her memorial can be viewed here.

The Browne School Teachers - 1921/1924: Jennie Male

Following Olive Male who taught at the Browne school during the 1920 - 1921 school year, Jennie Male replaced her younger sister for 3 school terms:   1921 - 1922, 1922 - 1923 and 1923 - 1924. 

Jennie Male was born in Malta township, DeKalb county, Illinois on September 5, 1899 to Martha (Osmundson) and Ole Male.    Olive first appears in the 1900 US Census living (lines 23 - 29) with her parents and siblings Oscar, Peter and Ella as well as a boarder, Oley Tysdal.

The 1910 US Census lists Jennie living (lines 23 - 30) with her parents and siblings, Oscar, Peter, Ella, Olive and Laura.    The family was residing in Malta township, DeKalb county, Illinois.

Jennie attended the Calvary Lutheran Church in Milan township, DeKalb county and completed the confirmation process on October 13, 1913.

Jennie is seated in the front row, furthest to the left.

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

On page 3 of the October 21, 1921 issue of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle, an announcement was made for an upcoming Basket Social which would take place on October 28, 1921.    Jennie Male is mentioned as the teacher at the Browne school.  Note the 'e' has dropped off from the Browne name.

Page 4 of the September 20, 1922 edition of The True Republican published the names of rural school teachers for the year.     Jennie Male is listed under the Malta listing for the Browne school, #80.

Jennie Male made the newspaper again on page 6 of the September 13, 1924 edition of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle.   Jennie had donated books geared toward 1st - 8th graders to the Malta public library.     Most likely these books were used at the Browne school.    Jennie would have finished her last year teaching at the Browne school a few months earlier, either in May or June 1924.

The 1930 US Census lists Jennie living (lines 86 - 89) with her parents, Ole and Martha and adopted brother, Roland Vollow still living in Milan township, DeKalb county, Illinois.    It is interesting the census does not mention Jenny's employment as a schoolteacher.

Page 6 of the February 6, 1937 edition of The True Republican reported that Jennie Male was deemed insane and committed to the Elgin State Hospital.   Interestingly, mental illness was not necessarily a reason for someone to be committed to an institution.

In 1940, the US Census lists Jennie living with her father, Ole in Malta township.    I did not locate a census for that year in the town of Elgin; apparently Jennie's stay at the Elgin State Hospital was for a short time, if at all.

Jennie Male passed away November 5, 1993 in DeKalb, DeKalb county, Illinois according to her obituary.

The memorial for Jenny can be found here.