Miletus School

Kinmundy Historical Society

MILETUS SCHOOL

Meacham Township, Marion County, Illinois

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We are looking for photos of people and/or places from around Kinmundy & Alma. Can you help?

Or maybe you have stories or memories from the "Good Old Days"? What do YOU remember?

The Kinmundy Historical Society would be honored to preserve your memories and stories. We also have the

equipment to scan (or copy) your photos so that they may be enjoyed now as well as for generations yet to come!

We would love to hear from you! For more information, please contact:

Dolores (Ford) Mobley – Dolores@ford-mobley.com

208 Joan Dr.; Divernon, IL 62530; (217) 625-7527

Gladys (Corrie) See – gsee49@yahoo.com

408 S. Washington St.; Kinmundy, IL 62854; (618) 547-7731

Teachers from MILETUS SCHOOL – District #17 (Meacham twp.)

(1896) Lila Williams

(1903-04) John H. Cozad

(1915-16) Edgar H. Parrill

(1918-19) Myrtle Lacey

(1920-21) O.L. Hawkins

(1922-23) Dee Lambird

(1923-24) Berthal Middleton

(1926-27) Mrs. Carrie Rush

(1928-29) Mrs. H.F. Kelchner

(1930-31) Paul Monical

(1931-32) Otis Tate

(1932-33) Marjorie Keller

(1933-34) Jessie Long

(1934-35) Otis E. Tate

(1935-36) Lescoe Sanders

(1936-37) Samuel M. Aldridge

(1937-38) Marjorie L. Keller (listed in Marion Co. Teacher booklet) / Lescoe Sanders

(1938-39) W.G. Hayes

(1939-40) W.G. Hayes

(1940-41) W.G. Hayes

(1941-42) W.L. Green

(1942-43) W.G. Hays

(1943-44) W.G. Hays

(1944-45) W.G. Hays (printed in Marion Co. Teacher booklet) / Mabel Foster (hand written)

(1945-46) Mabel Foster

(1946-47) Otis E. Tate

(1947-48) Mrs. Anna Marlow

(1948-49) Mrs. Anna Marlow / (maybe Mabel Foster too?)

(1949-50) Mrs. Anna Marlow

(1950-51) Mrs. Anna Marlow

(1951-52) Vera Sheffield (listed in Marion Co. Teacher booklet) / (Possibly) Ray Stewart

(1952-53) Ray Stewart

(Aug. 27, 1953) Leo Stock is redecorating the Miletus school house.

Kinmundy-Alma Rural Attendance Center at Miletus School:

(1953-54) Emma Smith / Mrs. Beryl Smith (listed in Marion Co. Teacher booklet)

(1954-55) Mrs. Florence Weiss

(The above information was gathered from "The Kinmundy Express" articles, school photos, County Directories of School Teachers, and information from those who had attended school there.)

Miletus School District No. 17 - Meacham Twp.

by Alta (Crutchfield) Krutsinger

"I have no idea how many years the original school house stood on the south side of the road, possibly some 25 or 30 years. East of this was a large building by the same name, Miletus, which was a general store and post office operated by Mr. and Mrs. Bill Perry. West of the schoolhouse was the Luke Combs’ residence, now owned and occupied by James Hanks and family.

I have a school picture of the Miletus School taken in 1896 - Lila Williams was the teacher.

Surely some dedicated Christian, probably Mrs. Nora Mulvany, gave the name of Miletus, which was a seaport in Asia Minor where the Apostle Paul ministered. The picture was taken on the north side of the school house as the U.S. flag of 45 stars hangs across the door. At that time I was fourteen years old and am now 87 (1979). Elva (Cooper) Nugent, now 101 years, lives alone in her home in Xenia. We are the only two living of the 32 in the picture.

In the fall of 1896, this school house was moved to the center of District 17 by a gentleman, Jim McGaffey, who stayed in the home of my parents, and my Dad assisted him. He used a capstan pulled by two white horses. Wide planks were laid on the ground and rollers placed thereon and was moved about the length of the building before removing the capstan. I well remember the event as Elsie and I went each day at noon to take their dinner and, kid-like, we tarried and rode in the house while it was moving. I do not know how many days it took to complete the job, but they went across the Perry farm to just west of the Uncle Chris Mulvaney house and northeast to its planned location to the northeast corner of what became of the Orion Butts farm. Many of the pupils from the first location attended school in its new location.

As of now, it would be considered a poor structure. It was heated with an old box stove in the center of the room. Later, a better stove was bought. The desks were homemade with shelves for books, etc. The recitation seat was a bench with no back. Shelves for lunch pails were nailed from the north and east wall - also the east and south, and overshoes were thrown against the wall nearby. The teacher’s desk was on the same order as the pupils’, nothing fancy. The windows were in the north and south. There was no porch. Many cold days we sat around the stove to keep from freezing.

During this scope of time is when the colored pupils, sons and daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Grant Taylor, joined in with us. There were Lewis, Jesse, Delia, Ruth, Nona and Gertrude. After the children were grown, they sold their farm and moved to Decatur. Mrs. Taylor lived to be 103 years old. The youngest and the last children died this last spring.

The teachers I remember were Grace Williams, Mabel Foster, Vera Sheffield, Mary Longnecker, Ada Morris, Cecil Bousman, Stella Wainscot, Mary Stokely, Shannon Huddleston, Glenn Brasel, Otto Reese, John Cozad and Jesse Payne.

Now this ends my school days and I know nothing of the whys or whats until about the year 1915-16 when the old structure was burned to the ground. My two younger brothers were present and Ermine (Mulvany) Dunn was the teacher. She had the pupils pick up books and belongings and they marched out safely. Then the new school house was built in its place by a Mr. Woodward of Salem. Teachers I remember teaching in this building were Myrtle Lacey, Millie (Long) Kelchner, Jessie (Long) Weyrich, Otis Tate, Marjorie (Keller) Walkington, Ray Stewart, B.D. Middleton, Anna Marlow, Sam Allridge, Willie Hays, Paul Monical, Beryl Smith, Lescoe Sanders, Willman Greene, Florence Weiss, and Edgar Parrill.

Perhaps the one teaching the greater number of years was Paul Monical with 46 years to his credit. Willie Hays taught 38 years.

Many of the former pupils were called to the service of their country: George Butts served 30 years; George King served in the army in Mexico; Harlas and Kenneth Krutsinger were in the army though neither left the states; Francis Krutsinger in Japan with the Air Force; Ralph Krutsinger with the army in Germany; Clark Krutsinger in the army in Alaska; Victor Yates, Navy, South Pacific and Phillippines; Lavern Yates, Japan; Junior Butts, Hawaii; Pearl White, Navy, Guadalcanal. Thank God, they all came home.

About the year 1955, the country schools consolidated with Kinmundy-Alma School District 301, and were transported to school by bus.

The Miletus school house was sold to Orion Butts. It is still standing but a perfect wreck. The bell was stolen one night, but the looters got cold feet and returned it after two days. It was taken to the Orion Butts’ yard where it remains.

The Miletus School will long be a life remembrance to many, many young and older people as a country school for well over 100 years."

“Footprints in Marion County” - Marion Co. IL Genealogical & Historical Society

Vol. VI; Summer 1981; No. 1; P. 53-54

Article in local newspaper – copy was in the Marion County One Room Schoolhouse Memorial kept by the Marion County Retired Teachers

Year

Names of Trustees for Meacham twp.; Town 4, Range 4

Names of Directors at Miletus School (#17)

1915-1916

A.C. Branson, E.S. Howell, C.S. Farris

Ira Cox, F.M. Smith, Clarence Smith

1918-1919

C.S. Farris – President; J.N. Jones – Clerk; E.S. Howell;

Chas. S. Keller – Treasurer

A.J. Crutchfield, Chas. Perry, Wm. Butts

1920-1921

E.P. Lacey – President; E.G. Dillon – Clerk; J.N. Jones;

E.E. Brown – Treasurer

Harry Thompson, Chas. Perry, Loyd Hanks

1922-1923

E.P. Lacey – President; E.G. Dillon – Clerk; J.F. Britton;

E.E. Brown – Treasurer

Claud Mulvaney, Harry Thompson, Oren Butts

1923-1924

E.P. Lacey – President; E.G. Dillon – Clerk; J.F. Britton;

E.E. Brown – Treasurer

Orion Butts, Claud Crutchfield, Claud Mulvaney

1926-1927

Fred Holzhausen – President; J.N. Jones – Clerk;

J.F. Britton; E.E. Brown – Treasurer

Emmett Mulvaney, Orion Butts, Eura Krutsinger

1928-1929

David Courson – President; Glenn Wells; J.N. Jones;

E.E. Brown – Treasurer

Eura Krutsinger, Orion Butts, Pete Butts

1930-1931

David Courson - President; Chas. Mangner;

E.A. Merritt; E.E. Brown – Treasurer

Eura Krutsinger, Orion Butts, Charles Yates

1931-1932

David Courson; Chas. Mangner; E.A. Merritt;

E.E. Brown - Treasurer

Eura Krutsinger, Orion Butts, C.E. Yates

1932-1933

Charles Mangner, Roy Neal, Wm. Chasteen,

E.E. Brown - Treasurer

C.E. Yates, Orion Butts, Pat Butts

1933-1934

Charles Mangner, Elmer Neal, Wm. Chasteen;

E.E. Brown – Treasurer

Ellis Butts, Orion Butts, Ira Krutsinger

1934-1935

Elmer Neal, Edd Heicher, Ervin Hampsten;

E.E. Brown – Treasurer

Ellis Butts, Orion Butts, Ira Krutsinger

1935-1936

Fred Holzhausen – President; Ed Heicher; Elmer Neal;

E.E. Brown – Twp. Treasurer

Robert Boston – President; Orion Butts – Clerk;

Ira Krutsinger

1936-1937

Fred Holzhausen – President; Ed Heicher, Elmer Neal;

E.E. Brown – Twp. Treasurer

Robert Boston – President; Orion Butts – Clerk;

Pete Butts

1937-1938

Arthur Courson, Ed Helcher, Fred Holzhausen,

E.E. Brown – Twp. Treasurer

Pete Butts – President; Robert Boston – Clerk;

Grover White

1938-1939

Arthur Courson – President; Ed Heicher, Fred Holzhausen,

E.E. Brown – Twp. Treasurer

Pete Butts – President; Emmit Mulvany – Clerk;

Grover White

1939-1940

Arthur Courson – President; Fred Holzhausen; Willie Slane;

Iris Brown – Twp. Treasurer

Pete Butts – President; Emit Mulvany – Clerk;

Grover White

1940-1941

Arthur Courson – President; Fred Holzhausen; Willie Slane;

Iris Brown – Twp. Treasurer

Pete Butts – President; Emit Mulvaney – Clerk;

Orion Butts

1941-1942

Arthur Courson – President; Willie Slane; Chas. E. Fogler;

Miss Iris Brown – Twp. Treasurer

Pete Butts – President; Emit Mulvaney – Clerk;

Orion Butts

1942-1943

Arthur Courson – President; Charles E. Fogler;

Iris Brown – Twp. Treasurer

Pete Butts – President; Emit Mulvaney – Clerk;

Orion Butts

1943-1944

Dewey Combs – President; Chas. E. Fogler; Ira Krutsinger;

Iris Brown – Twp. Treasurer

Paul Wilkinson – President; Pete Butts – Clerk;

Elery Butts

1944-1945

Dewey Combs – President; Chas. E. Fogler;

Ira Krutsinger; Iris Brown – Twp. Treasurer

Pete Butts – President; Paul Wilkinson – Clerk;

Elery Butts

1945-1946

Dewey Combs – President; Chas. Fogler;

Ira Krutsinger; Mrs. Georgia Soldner – Twp. Treasurer

Pete Butts – President; Harry Thompson – Clerk;

Paul Wilkinson

1946-1947

Dewey Combs – President; Ira Krutsinger; Charlie Fogler;