This Herald article from May 31, 1956, written by Dorothy Janzen, details the seven-room expansion of Stillson Elementary.
Stillson School Knows How to Remedy Growing Pains
Enlarging from a one-room school to an eight-classroom structure is the story of Stillson School, District No. 5, town of Lafayette.
Stillson knows how to remedy its growing pains!
To begin with this year’s developments, today marks the end of the first year for usage of the second addition. Built during the summer and fall of 1955, two new classrooms were used during this last school year. Eventually the building will accommodate two more classrooms.
Free lunches for all students were provided at the well-equipped lunchroom, moved from the basement to part of the new quarters last December.
The enrollment at Stillson School was 240 this year. It included two districts, Lafayette Dist. No. 5 and former No. 13.
Excellent bus service for all students, regardless of how far they live from school, was provided by Henry LeDuc of Chippewa Falls. Two of the three buses made double trips.
A bus patrol, initiated this year, co-operated with the bus drivers in working for the safety of the children and the protection of the buses while in operation. The children handled their responsibilities most commendably, according to their school principal, Mrs. Ardis Lodahl.
The seven member of the teaching staff include Mrs. Anna MacIlquham, grade 1; Mrs. Marie Badman, grade 2; Mrs. Adeline LeDuc, grade 3; Mrs. Ellen Muenich, grade 4; Mrs. June Cizek, grade 5; Mrs. Ruth Newton, grades 6 &7; and Mrs. Ardis Lodahl, principal, grade 8.
The cooks are Mrs. Joe Fago and Mrs. Ralph Frederick. Ben Buetow is the janitor.
The co-operative school Board this year includes Joe Fago, cleark; Rudolph Hager, treasurer; and Edwin Marks, director.
The history of Stillson School dates back about fifty years when the frame building was located on the Ernest Klages farm about one-half mile east of the present location. Some of the earlier school board members were Andrew Horne (father of county agent Hans Horne), Peter Metzenbauer, George Lange, Sr., Oliver Melville, Roy Melville, Ernest Klages, Sr., Mrs. Ernest Klages, George Lange, Jr., Arthur Mayers and Ed LeDuc.
In 1918 the building was moved to its present location. Teachers there included Helen Brown Jones, Alvin Carew, Mrs. Nick Haring, Catherine Weeks Schlimme, Ruth Baits Dressel, Loretta M. Durch, Agnes Ryan O’Donnell, Anna Peterson Nicolai, Nevens Connell O’Donell and Ardis Dunbar Braden.
When construction of the present building was begun in 1938, August Sommerfeld, Floyd Metzenbauer, and Charles Harris were members of the school board. August Sommerfeld served as clerk of this board for twenty-two years.
Also serving as members of the board were Mrs. Lester Card, Mrs. Clarence Burich, Mrs. Ezra Vincent, Fred Ruppert, Lester Dodge, Wayne Sommerfeld, Mrs. M.D. Nozel and B.A. Buetow.
Following the completion of the new building, Marian Jacobson became the teacher, then Mrs. Ethel Dressel and Mrs. Hilda Semington. Noon lunches were served at the school, with Mrs. Ray Frederich, Mrs. Clara Hall and Mrs. August Sommerfeld serving as cooks.
The enrollment at that time exceeded fifty pupils, and a second teacher, Mrs. Florence Berg, was employed.
In 1948 the Bateman School District was annexed and the first addition to the present building was made. Thus three additional classrooms and a spacious auditorium (later to be converted into classrooms) were provided.
Richard Keehn was employed as principal, with Hilda Semington, Florence Berg and Alice Polzin completing the faculty roster. The latter two were succeeded by Clara Hall and Anna McIlquham. Mrs. Ed Lanners, Jeannette Fisher and Mollie Roycraft served as cooks.
Expansion was again eminent and the auditorium was used for classrooms with Adeline LeDuc and Marie Badman added to the faculty, and Frank Krause as janitor.
Last summer the second addition was begun. While the building was under construction, the carpenters went on strike, delaying proceedings and making it necessary for one grade to hold classes in the Lafayette Town Hall for the first twelve weeks of this school year.
The children walked to the school building for lunches and bus service.
When finished, the new addition turned out to be just what was needed. And with an increased enrollment that is expected next year and the possibility of completion of two more classrooms in the new addition, the future of Stillson School appears to be “progressive.”
