Florence Parker
Florence Parker
Miss Parker was born in the town of Burnside, Trempealeau county, daughter of Silas Parker and his wife, Frances Bush Parker, who were pioneer settlers in Cripps Valley north of Independence. When she was a baby her parents movedto the town of Hale. At the age of 15 she began to teach rural school. Her first job was in Lewis Valley, town of Arcadia, and one of her first pupils was Hugh Lewis, now residing in Independence.
She had earned her one-year certificate by passing the examination given by the county superintendent. In thosedays teachers were hired by the term. The spring term of about four months extended into the summer and the fall term began late in the fall and extended about three months or until the weather was too bad to permit easy access to the school by the children. School lasted in all only about six months during the year in those days. Miss Parker taught more than 17 years.
After starting to teach Miss Parker interspersed her working with going to school when she could and remembers taking high school work under Judge J. C. Gaveney when he taught for a short while at the Independence high schoolafter completing his college work at the University of Wisconsin about 60 years ago. She retired from teaching 23 yearsago. Miss Parker has lived in Whitehall and area most of her life, but spent some years as a resident of Mondovi with her relatives, the Farringtons.
Her three brothers and one sister are dead and she is the last of her family. She is a former member of the Royal Neighbors lodge and was active in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union at Whitehall for many years. She also served in the school board here and has been actively interested in many civic enterprises. She is now retired at her home in Whitehall.
(from the Jan. 13, 1947, Winona [Minn.] Republican-Herald)
Miss Parker was born in the town of Burnside, Trempealeau county, daughter of Silas Parker and his wife, Frances Bush Parker, who were pioneer settlers in Cripps Valley north of Independence. When she was a baby her parents movedto the town of Hale. At the age of 15 she began to teach rural school. Her first job was in Lewis Valley, town of Arcadia, and one of her first pupils was Hugh Lewis, now residing in Independence.
She had earned her one-year certificate by passing the examination given by the county superintendent. In thosedays teachers were hired by the term. The spring term of about four months extended into the summer and the fall term began late in the fall and extended about three months or until the weather was too bad to permit easy access to the school by the children. School lasted in all only about six months during the year in those days. Miss Parker taught more than 17 years.
After starting to teach Miss Parker interspersed her working with going to school when she could and remembers taking high school work under Judge J. C. Gaveney when he taught for a short while at the Independence high schoolafter completing his college work at the University of Wisconsin about 60 years ago. She retired from teaching 23 yearsago. Miss Parker has lived in Whitehall and area most of her life, but spent some years as a resident of Mondovi with her relatives, the Farringtons.
Her three brothers and one sister are dead and she is the last of her family. She is a former member of the Royal Neighbors lodge and was active in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union at Whitehall for many years. She also served in the school board here and has been actively interested in many civic enterprises. She is now retired at her home in Whitehall.
(from the Jan. 13, 1947, Winona [Minn.] Republican-Herald)