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Statement of Purpose of this Site

This is a family site with a specific geographic, historic and thematic focus. The time period is approximately 1939 to 1957, with some peeks into earlier times to set the stage, and a few more current items. The geographic area is Iowa, near the border of Carroll Co (Union and Richland Townships) and Greene Co (Willow Township), just north of Guthrie and Audubon Counties, including the town of Coon Rapids, our home town. Thematically, this site will focus on education (Willow # 3, Star School and CRHS), a rural religious farm commuity (Star Methodist Church in rural Carroll Co, Union Township, north of Coon Rapids) and our early days, many of them together. We say we met on our mothers' knees at Ladie's Aid Society at the Star church. We have now been married almost 38 years. This will be about the early years. We both were part of the Coon Rapids High School (CRHS) Class of 1957. This will include information about that class, as we know it, and we want to add what others contribute to that knowledge, and share it with you.

Bill and Nancy Smith, June 15, 1997

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CRHS Class of 1957 - Coon Rapids, Carroll Co, Iowa

Coon Rapids is a town in west central Iowa of about fifteen hundred people. The rural school districts around Coon Rapids were consolidated into the Coon Rapids Community school district, largely in the 1950s. Much later, the Coon Rapids and Bayard schools consolidated, now known as Coon Rapids-Bayard School District.

Bayard and Coon Rapids reorganized in 1987. Superintendents were Dr. Marvin Judkins (CR) and Mel Wishman (Bayard). The two schools shared sports programs for three years prior to total merger. (Thanks to Charles Nixon, Editor, The Enterprise, in Coon Rapids, for this paragraph). Update, April 2006, from Mel Wishman, via email: "I was not the superintendent at Bayard at the time Coon Rapids and Bayard reorganized. I left in the spring of 1986.We had voted once and it was defeated by Bayard.At the time of reorganization Coon Rapids and Bayard shared a superintendent, Marv Judkins." Thanks for the update! Bill ;-)

Nancy and the Star School were consolidated at such a time that she went to the Seventh Grade in Coon Rapids, starting the fall of 1951. Bill and the Willow #3 School were consolidated at such a time that he went to the Eighth Grade in Coon Rapids, starting the fall of 1952. We started High School in the Fall of 1953, for course, being the Class of 1957, the class "who had their dreams," if you can believe the Statler Brothers tune, that told it pretty accurately, generically.

This site will recognize the CRHS Class of 1957, in spite of no 40th reunion this year. This seems to be the way we like it. Each to his/her own way. This is ours.

Roster of CRHS Class of 1957

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Star School

The Star School sat across the road south of the Star Church. They occupied the two western corners of a cross-roads. (One mile south of Richland Township, and, one mile west of the Greene County line.) Two miles to the east, in Greene County, sat the Williow#3 school house. The county live ran in between. The Star School building, after the school closed, was moved across the road and attached to the Star Church as a Fellowship Hall. See the photo of the Star Church, below, and, more discussion of details under The Star Community. The left hand portion is the church building before the addition of the Fellowship Hall. The right hand portion of the picture is the old Star School building (many of the school buildings of the time are distinguishable by the many windows side-by-side on the long sides of the building).

See more on the The Star Community
As seen through the eyes of those who were a part of it.

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Star Methodist Church

Star Methdist Church circa 1956
Leverne Smith (Bill's father) walking in the foreground

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As noted in the Star School comments, the right portion of the building in the picture above is actually the old Star School building which was moved across the road to become the Fellowship Hall for the Star Methodist Church. Notice the Star high over the door of the church building on the left, near the peak.

See more on The Star Community
As seen through the eyes of those who were a part of it.
A Star Church confirmation class
In front of the church - about 1951
Reverend Pooley and Don Williams, teacher, in back
Students, from the left:
Charlotte Shirbroun, Nancy Bolger, Bill Smith, Dennis Ford, Kenny Molle, Wayne Grim

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Willow # 3

Each Willow Township school served the four square miles surrounding it. Willow #3 served the four square miles in the northwest corner of Willow township, which, itself formed the southwest corner of Greene County. Immediately to the west, across the county line, is Union Township of Carroll County, the southeast corner of that county.

Two miles south of Willow # 3 was Willow #4 school house, and, two miles further south, was Willow #9 school house. The numbering started in the northeast corner, went west (1,2,3), dropped to the south, then counted east (4,5,6), dropped to the south, then counted west again (7,8,9). Willow Township, therefore can be viewed as nine sets of four sections, 36 sections in all.

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The lay of the land and neighbors

Combining Oats circa 1955, typical activity of the day.

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This is rich, black soil, farmland. Truely the "Breadbasket of the World." It was then, it still is today. It just doesn't take anywhere near as many farmers to farm the same acres as it did in years past.

This section will discuss and review the lives and times of the farmers and their families in this area and in this time period.

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Coon Rapids, Iowa

Coon Rapids sits on the banks of the Raccoon River, where there is a rapids.+rapids symbol?

Coon Rapids was four miles south and four miles west of Willow # 3 school house. It was nearly staight south of the Star School and Star Church corner, about four miles. There were a couple of jogs in the road, as you neared town, coming from the north. In between, was the county line road.

Modern Links to Coon Rapids sites, just being created during 1997:

Coon Rapids Municipal Utilities - Instigated a vote to a approve a forwaard looking Communictions Utilitie to expand beyond Cable Television into Internet Provider and now considering local telephone service. CHECK Coon Rapids Links, also.

Coon Rapids Public Library- Good local resource. They have been very helpful to me! Thank you!

The Carroll County link of the US Gen Web Project. An important contribution to the family and social history preservation of our area (and nation, and world).

Coon Rapids, Iowa - City facts and information. Yahoo local directory for Coon Rapids.
 

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