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 - 1931/1936: Bertha Finnestad

Following the one year term of Marion Lee Whittaker, the next 5 school years were taught by Bertha Finnestad:  1931 - 1932, 1932 - 1933, 1933 - 1934, 1934 - 1935 and 1935 - 1936.    This is the longest tenure at the Browne school since at least 1906/1907.

Bertha Finnestad* was born to Elizabeth (Ingebregtsdatter) and Alfred Bartineus Finnestad on January 14, 1910 at the Finnestad farm (commune) in Hetland parish, Rogaland county, Norway.     Her baptism record entry is the 2nd from the bottom of the page.

On July 26, 1915, Bertha (lines 1 - 5) and her mother, Elizabeth and siblings Esther, Marvin and Ingmond sailed from Stavanger, Norway on the ship Kristianiafjord.   They arrived in New York on the 7th of August, 1915.

It is fortunate for the family they did not sail on the Kristianiafjord two years later on June 15th or June 18th.

From the manifest, the family was planning to meet Alfred in David Junction who had already arrived in America.    Davis Junction is south of Rockford, Winnebago county, Illinois and north of Rochelle, Ogle county, Illinois.     

It appears the family had about $50 in their possession at the time of their arrival in New York. Considering inflation that would translate to approximately $1,286.72 today.

According to the 1920 US Census, the Finnestad family had settled in Milan township, DeKalb county, Illinois.   Bertha was living (lines 27 - 34) with her parents, Alfred and Elizabeth and siblings, Esther, Marvin, Ingmond, Edith and Alida.

Bertha attended the Calvary Lutheran Church in the adjoining county, Alto township, Lee county.    She was confirmed on May 3, 1925.    She is sitting to the right of the pastor in this photo (to HIS left).

Two of her brothers were in the same confirmation class.   Ingmond is in the 2nd row, third from the left and Marvin is the fourth from the right.

Bertha attended DeKalb Township High School and graduated just a few months prior to The Great Depression in 1929.    The DeKalb Daily Chronicle published the class photos on page 6 of their June 4, 1929 edition.

That same issue on page 10 it was reported that Bertha Finnestad would be attending Northern Illinois State Teachers' College.

The 1930 US Census lists Bertha living (Page 4A lines 46 - 50 & Page 4B lines 51 - 52) with her parents, Alfred and Elizabeth and siblings Marvin, Edith, Alida and Alice in Malta township, DeKalb county, Illinois.  

Bertha is not listed as being employed.

Of note, Marcella (Walter) Mace is living one house away from the Bertha Finnestad family.   Marcella Mace was teaching at the Browne school when this census was taken.

On May 22, 1935, Bertha married Ben Eike.    The 1940 US Census lists Bertha living (Page 8B lines 78 - 80 & Page 9A line 1) in DeKalb, DeKalb township, DeKalb county, Illinois with her husband Ben and their children, Evonne and Ann Marie.    

This census does not list Bertha as being employed.   Apparently her teaching career began and ended with the Browne school.

Bertha (Finnestad) Eike passed away August 16, 1990 in DeKalb, DeKalb county, Illinois.   

Bertha's memorial can be viewed here.

*This Finnestad family is not related to the Finnestad family mentioned here.   While the last place the Ole Finnestad family lived prior to moving to the United States, they do not share the same bloodline.  Additionally, Ole Finnestad and family moved to the United States decades prior to Bertha and her family.   

The Browne School Teachers - 1930/1931: Marion Lee Whittaker

Marion Lee Whittaker taught at the Browne school for one year, 1930 - 1931 following Marcella (Walter) Mace who taught the previous two terms.    Marion was the second male teacher at the Browne school for the 20th century.      The only other male teacher at this point was Bert Male.    I do not have information on the teachers that taught between the school opening in the 1860's through spring of 1906. 

Marion Lee Whittaker was born in Pueblo, Pueblo county, Colorado on February 2, 1909 to Maude Elma (Swain) and Milo Lee Whittaker.    The 1910 US Census lists Marion living (lines 95 - 99) with his parents Milo and Maude and siblings Ralph and Hollis.   The family was living in Pueblo, Colorado.

Marion's father was a principal at a public school.

The 1920 US Census lists Milo living (Sheet 2 A lines 47 - 50 and Sheet 2B lines 51 - 52) living with his parents, Milo and Maude and siblings Ralph, Hollis and Bettie.   The family had moved to Del Norte, Rio Grande county, Colorado.

Marion's father was a principal at a public school.

Page 5 of the August 29, 1928 edition of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle reported Marion would be taking a course in forestry at Western Ag College in Pueblo, Colorado.

On page 7 of the October 23, 1929 edition of The DeKalb Daily Chronicle an advertisement appeared for Yellow Cab now owned by Marion Whittaker.   The same page detailed the purchase of the business.  Probably a very difficult time to acquire a business considering the stock market would suffer huge losses the next two days, known as the start of The Great Depression.

The 1930 US Census lists Marion living (lines 55 - 59) with his parents, Milo and Maude and his sister, Bettie.   Also living with the Whittaker family was Maude's father,  Rufus Swain.   The family was living in DeKalb township, DeKalb county, Illinois.

Milo was working as a teacher at the Northern Illinois State Normal School in DeKalb, Illinois now known as Northern Illinois University.    Marion was a rural school teacher though I do not know which one.    In August or September a few months after the census was taken, Marion would be teaching at the Browne school in Milan township.

On June 8, 1930, Marion Lee Whittaker married Erma Louise Walker in Cook county, Illinois.    I do not know the city but it probably was Chicago.

In 1935 Marion was attending Northern Illinois State Normal School and his photo appeared in the yearbook, The Northern.

The yearbook mentions Marion's extracurricular activities which were 'band' and 'orchestra'.

The 1940 US Census shows Marion living (lines 49 - 54) with his wife (Erma) Louise and their children Richard, Robert and Elizabeth as well as Marion's grandfather, Rufus Swain.   The family was living in Eugene, Lane county, Oregon. 

Marion was working as a school teacher at a junior high school.

On October 15, 1940, Marion registered for the draft registration due to World War II.    At the time, Marion was living in Oswego, Oregon and working at the Oswego school district.

Marion Lee Whittaker passed away in Bandon, Coos county, Oregon on November 3, 1976.   His memorial can be viewed here.