Ephrata Alumni Association

Students Learn About
1914 School Children

Grant Elementary School
April 28, 2014

Ephrata High School senior Ana Rose Lyles-Riebli presented a program at Grant School Elementary painting a picture of what life was like for a young student one hundred years ago; taking them through a typical day of that time. It was early-rising, milking cows, gathering eggs, walking to school; then drawing water and bringing in wood for the woodstove before they even began school work. She explained how after the student’s journey back home the family would work together to keep a good home and to provide for the necessities of life.

Ana Rose was dressed in period clothing similar to what a young teacher would have worn 100 years ago. The students in Ms. Jenna Mayer’s third grade class wore clothing and hats from that time – much to the delight of their fellow students. The girls modeled prairie dresses, aprons, bonnets, and flower-bedecked straw hats. The boys wore collar-less shirts, suspenders, vests, knickers, cow-pie, bowler, and floppy felt hats. Her students were presented with a children’s book, “Jenna, Sagebrush Flats Pioneer Girl” written about Ms. Mayer to honor’s the Centennial Celebration of her family’s farm.

Beverly Mayer provided a showing of antique items that the students would have encountered during their day. School items on display: clothes, lunch pails, book/strap, water bucket and dipper ladle, chalk box, pen/ink bottle, marbles, metal toy, rag doll. Home items: egg basket, rug beater, bread pan/wheat, butter churn, ice cream maker, sewing box/sewing items, wash board, clothes plunger, hand irons, kerosene lamp.

Everyone enjoyed the great adventure of getting to know school children from 100 years ago and seeing old-time school and household items.

To read Ana Rose's speech, click here: