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Elmer, Missouri - Early History
Early History and Teachers
I’ve located a copy of the 1922 school yearbook (called The Blue Jay) which gives a little history about the school. In the early years, the school only offered classes through the tenth grade. In the advertising section of The Blue Jay, there is an ad from the LaPlata High School imploring the students to go to LaPlata for grades 11 and 12. It appears that in the Elmer school, there were only four teachers utilized. At least this is true up to and including the 1921-1922 school year. The principal apparently taught grades 9 and 10. Room 1 taught grades 2 and 5, room 2 taught grades 3 and 4 and room 3 taught grades 6, 7, and 8. Schooling before the second grade was called the primary department. In 1921-2, this section was taught by Mrs. Willard (Lula) Gunnels. The list of teachers provided in The Blue Jay did not include a teacher for the Primary Department. Additionally, for the 1913-1914 school year, an assistant principal was listed, but this was not done for any of the other years.
Interestingly, the list of graduating sophomores shown in The Blue Jay differs from the list of graduating students shown in the publication Elmer Community History 1976.The sophomore class listed in The Blue Jay is shown in the latter publication as "graduating" from the Elmer School in 1924. Since The Blue Jay is the official yearbook for the Elmer School System in 1921-22, I presume we must conclude that the sophomore (graduating) class listed there is correct.
YEAR PRINCIPAL ROOM 1 ROOM 2 ROOM 3
1905-1906 Albert F. Smith Mrs. Maud Saul Ethel Shumaker Caroline Wolf
1906-1907 Albert F. Smith Lizzie Parry Ethel Shumaker Caroline Wolf
1907-1908 O. A. Hutton Myrtle Shumaker Lizzie Parry Minnie Reed
1908-1909 O. A. Hutton Myrtle Shumaker Caroline Wolf Ethel Shumaker
1909-1910 J. W. Finnell Myrtle Shumaker Ethel Shumaker Ora Epperson
1910-1911 S. B. McCullem Violet Lane Lena Creamer Lillian Johnson
1911-1912 J. S. McKinzie Myrtle Shumaker Ilo Nichols Birdie Newmyre
1912-1913 F. D. Manning Myrtle Shumaker Ilo Nichols W. S. Salyer
1913-1914 A.L. Prosser Mazie Lawrence Nellie Phillips W. S. Salyer
Asst. Principal Ethel Shumaker
1914-1915 T. D. Glaze Mazie Lawrence Nell Minor Virginia Trower
1915-1916 John Neff Grace Webber Nell Minor Virginia Trower
1916-1917 G. E. Estes Grace Webber Nell Minor Virginia Trower
1917-1918 G. E. Estes Grace Webber Nell Minor Anna Saunders
1918-1919 Mary A. Lawrence Velma Gunnels Lora Murry Jewell Newmyre
1919-1920 John E. Farmer Velma Gunnels Lora Murry Adah Hawk
1920-1921 W. T. Green Fay Dudley Lora Murry Adah Hawk
1921-1922 R. J. Westfall Mrs. Eutopia Bailey* Mrs. Lora Smith Otha Bergman
Note- Eutopia (Mrs. Edgar) Bailey was forced to retire during the school year due to health reasons. While I can’t confirm it, it appears that she was replaced by H. B. Patterson.