May 2012 Gem Lake Newsletter - Laserfiche WebLink

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Gem Lake News Page 2 of 6 It might not have been right out of "Little House on the Prairie," but there was once a cute county school house located on the current site of Barnett Chrysler's showroom building near the intersection of County Road E and Highway 61. It was a small brick building, officially known as school 19-B in the White Bear School System. In the 1930's the school had between 30 and 40 students, grades 1-8. All students were taught from the school's only classroom by the school's only teacher, who was named Miss Frances Merry. Lorraine Birkeland, who walked across the street from her home to attend the school, remembers Miss Merry as a "very patient woman." Millie Scheuneman LaBathe, daughter of Charley Scheuneman, who operated nearby Scheuneman's Market, attended grades 1-8 in 19B and remembers Miss Merry very well. The teacher lived in St. Paul and rode the bus to work each day. Her work day was a full one, as she called on each grade separately for reading, writing and arithmetic instruction. There Really Was a "Little Red School House" in Gem Lake (sort of) The grades were organized by rows, running from front to back, with first graders on one side of the room and eighth graders on the other. A section of the large classroom was set aside as a library area, but all activity took place within this large open area. Blackboards covered the walls on all four sides. The school was opened sometime around 1929 and was noteworthy for its indoor plumbing. "I remember how excited we would get at Christmas time," said Millie. "The parents would come in and build a little stage where we would have our Christmas plays and events." Millie lived only about a block away in a brick house on a hill, located at the other end of the Barnett Chrysler lot. The basement of the school was one large room, often used by the Community Club for local card parties." I remember my mother often took part in these events," said Millie. (continued on page 3)