Ionia-Eaton County MI Archives News.....THE FINAL DAYS OF THE TRAVIS SCHOOL October 1976
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LaVonne Bennett lib@dogsbark.com February 12, 2007, 1:23 pm

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR, October 1976, Volume 12, Number 2; Submitted With Written Permission Of Current Editor Grayden D. Slowins: October 1976

THE FINAL DAYS OF THE TRAVIS SCHOOL by Donna Elliott –
As I read through the copies of the RECOLLECTOR I decided I should give you the 
attendance at the Travis School for its last year (1971-72).  Much of the 
school’s earlier history is here and since it was the last rural school IN
Sebewa Township it seemed appropriate.  So, since I taught the school the last 
year and a half, replacing Mrs. Mosser when she left for heart surgery, here 
are my memories and the attendance list.

There were several times that Rev. Juizema of the Portland Christian Reformed 
Church let me hold classes in the adjacent church basement while our furnace 
was being repaired.  But the tables turned.  The Travis schoolhouse is now the 
church annex.

There was a time, shortly before our Christmas program when a beam collapsed 
under the building and created a valley in the middle of the room.  During the 
Christmas program a note was passed to me telling me Santa Claus had to go home 
for his suit.  Also all the props collapsed on Chris Peake as he played Santa 
in the play.  But it all came out well.

I also remember how hard we worked on afternoon to get ready for the Rural 
Teachers’ Club the next day.  The oldest girls and I even mopped the floor only 
to come the next morning to find the building had been broken into and robbed!  
Even our clock was taken off the wall!  We were robbed a second time several 
months later.

I hope those “kids” remember the trips we took while I was there.  Several of 
the older children got to go to Camp Kett near Cadillac for different 
weekends.  We also went to the National Guard Armory near Grand Ledge.  I 
remember how the kids jumped when the guide raised the whole wall of the 
building.  I am sure several mothers also remember our trip to Greenfield 
Village.  Do you know there were only two stoplights and the stop sign at 
Keefer Highway between here and there?

I’ll always remember the wonderful closeness of the Travis District people and 
their great charity to me when my mother died six weeks after I started 
teaching there; and also their response when my husband was hospitalized from 
April 14th through the end of the year.  Parents helped in keeping records and 
making reports.

I also recall our visit to the State Legislature and Representative Stanley 
Powell introducing us to the House and Senate.  Two of the Senators commented 
on the politeness of our group.

The Travis School youngsters had fun corresponding with pen pals in the 
Marianas Islands in the Pacific Ocean, thanks to a young man, Jim Moses, who 
subbed at Travis before I came there.  Try explaining snow to kids who live 
near the equator!

We had some notable changes in enrollment that last year.  Phyllis Ward moved 
to Woodland, so we lost Jeff, grade 8; Doug, grade 7 and Keith, grade 4.  The 
school board allowed me to bring my two children with me to school so that 
added two to the rolls.  Shortly after school started, the Mulfords moved in 
and Sue joined us.  In October, Portland Schools informed the Kinsmans that 
their house was in the Travis District so Doug and Jolene joined us.  In 
November the York house was rented to Tom LaCount, Jay, Jon and Dan Schmidt 
joined us.  They were in grades 8, 6, 4 and 2 respectively and were with us 
until February.  In March Arthur Creighton, Jr. rented that house and Paula, 
Tom and Brenda Bailey joined our school until the end.

Our final enrollment was as follows:
8th Grade:  Sue Mulford, Dennis Normington, Chris Peake, LeAnn Putnam, Karen 
Smith, Kendall Smith.
7th Grade:  Cameron Peake, Sally Scutt, Shirley Scutt.
6th Grade:  Cree Peake, Kathy Putnam.
5th Grade:  David Bower, George Cassel, Doug Kinsman, Jeff Normington.
4th Grade:  Tommy Normington.
2nd Grade:  Paula Bailey, Tracy Elliott, Ann Guy, Jolene Kinsman, Jeff Smith.
1st Grade:  Jean Cassel, Robert Elliott, David Putnam, Kevin Steward.
Kindergarten:  Brenda Bailey, Tom Bailey, Aubrey Cabinaw, Brian Kenyon.

Our last school board was composed of Ken Guy, Norma Jean Norminton and Larry 
Steward.  We had some good ball games, some great snowball fights and a couple 
of unique snowmen.  We had a closeness that will never exist in town schools no 
matter how hard they try and even though I now teach fifth grade at Portland’s 
Westwood school and may get one or more of Travis’ last beginners this fall, it 
is not the same.  My dearest memories are of Travis and other country schools I 
taught.





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