| In Loving Memory of Ilene Larson Manela... |
| A one Room Schoolhouse teacher from the Northern Oklahoma and Caldwell, KS area... |
| The young man above by the name of Max Schuermann is generous enough to donate his mother's teaching books pictured below to the Belleview Schoolhouse Restoration Project! We wanted to recognize him and his beloved Mother for this generous donation! Below is a little about her and her family... |
| Chris and Ophra Larson and their family immigrated from Denmark when Chris was only 12 years old. They settled in Nebraska and when they opened the Cherokee strip in Oklahoma for the land rush Chris and his family settled a few miles south of the Oklahoma line straight south of Bluff City. Iva Ilene Larson married Lynn Schuermann. She dropped the name "Iva" and changed her name to Ilene Larson Schuenmann. Ilene taught in country schools from 1929-1936 when Max Schuermann was born. She stayed at home for a while to raise her son. Around 1949 Ilene and Lynn divorced when Max was only 13 years old. During the war, Ilene went back to teaching in the country schools in 1943 till 1951. When that school closed, she started teaching in Medford. She then married Chet Manela in 1954 and then had the name Ilene Larson Manela. She stayed there until she retired in 1971. She taught for a total of 33 years with 14 of that in Country schools. She passed away on September 21st 1993 at the age of 83. She is layed to rest with her husband Chester Manela at the Caldwell Cemetary. Her mother and father Chris and Ophra Larson are also layed to rest with her along with her brother-in-law Jim England and sister Eva England and other family members. As Max says, "I'm sure mom would approve of having some of her things connected with the country school project!" A HUGE thanks to Max and his beloved mother for this generous donation!! |
| Ilene kept these books when the schools were done with them and otherwise would have thrown them away! McGuffey's Eclectic Reader Books... |
| Webster's New International Dictionary... This book was used in the Grant County Oklahoma rural school district 21 also known as "New Hope School". It is an impressive 6 inches thick and usually sat on a stand on the stage for all to use. |
| Books Max is donating... |