Leoville Schools

Leoville Schools

The paramount common interests that have united the citizens of this portion of Decatur County into a community from pioneer days have been the church and the school.

Members of the community that had been more gifted than others in booklore gathered around them the youth of the vicinity and imparted to them the fundamentals of religion, reading, writing and arithmetic.

The sod home of Frank Heitmann was used for a school classroom until a school building could be provided. A school term was only for a few months of each year. In this home during the winter of 1885-1886, school was taught for three months by Miss Georgianna Weitzel, who later became the wife of Dr. L. C. Tilden of Oberlin. Included among her pupils were Matthew and Therese Hoffman, Dora Neifert, Claudine Weitzel, Frank and Joseph Boeger, Margaret and John Schroer, Elizabeth, Clara and John Dempewolf.

During the following months of 1886, a private school was built. This first Leoville school was a sod building located approximately one-quarter of a mile west of the town as it stands today. The school term of six months opened late in November or December with Bartholemus Funk as teacher. Mr. Funk also taught the following two terms. The school term of 1889-1890 was taught by a Miss Taylor. Pupils of the sod school were Joseph and Frank Boerger, John, Anna and Frank Zodrow, Minnie, Byran and Anna Pankaskie, Mary and Elizabeth Niemann, Peter Funk, John, William and Margaret Kaus, Dora Neifert, Elizabeth and John Dem�pewolf, and possibly others.

In the year 1890, a one-room frame building was con�structed. It was built on the corner of Main Street west of the pool hall. In later years it had also served as the local grocery store. School was taught here by Mr. August Reichert from Dayton, Ohio, during the years from 1890 to 1892. There was an attendance of 36 students in 1892. Miss Agnes Reichert, also of Dayton, Ohio, was employed during 1892-1893. She was succeeded by her brother, August Reichert, for another term. During the terms 1895 to 1897, school was taught by John Fleckenstein. His successor for the several terms following was John Handwerk.

From school records it was learned that Union Grade District No. 1 was formed at the regular school meetings 1902 when District 92 and District 76 were disorganized form Union Grade 1.

In 1904-1905, the school term was increased to seven months. That year there was an enrollment of 39 pupils with a Mr. Huff employed as teacher.

Mr. August Reichert returned for his third term in 1906 1907. This was the first nine-months term.

Miss Josephine Heitmann of Oberlin taught the school term of 1908-1909 with 32 pupils attending her classes.

In 1909, John Handwerk returned for a term of eight months. That year showed an enrollment of 58 pupils.

On June 22, 1910, it was voted to make Union Grade 1 graded school and to employ two Sisters of St. Joseph from Concordia as teachers. It was to be supported by 17¹/4 sec tions of land. Since there was but one classroom available,; the upper grades were taught there by Sister Henry while Sister Ligouri taught the lower grades in one room of the Sister's home. This house later became the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Geisinger. The enrollment that year was 55 pupils.

In 1911 a two-story frame structure providing four large classrooms was completed. This served the district until 1950 when a new brick elementary school was erected to the northeast of the old school. The modern facilities and hot lunches were greatly appreciated by all.

In 1913-1918 a two-year high school course was offered in connection with the grade school work that was taught by the three grade teachers in addition to their regular classroom work. The students enrolled in this first class were Frank Kruse, Bertha Ypma, Theodore Niemann, Paul Neff, Florian Karls, Henry and Alphonse Dempewolf, August Karls and Christina Zimmerman.

It was largely due to the zeal of Sister Aloysius that secondary education was given an impetus in this rural district. She was a staunch advocate of the policy of educating the farm boys and then anchoring them on the farms.

The high school was organized as a separate unit and received the approval of the State Board of Education in 1918. At the time there were four freshmen and five sophomores enrolled.

The erection of a new high school building became im�perative so bonds were voted for this purpose in 1924. The building was erected and ready for use in January 1925. The four-year high school was accredited by the State Board of Education in July 1925.

The honor of being the first student to be graduated from the Leoville High School belongs to Mrs. Bernard Schieferecke (Clara Schroer) of Dresden.

Some of the parents from New Almelo wanted their children to have a Catholic education so they sent their children to Leoville High School to be taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Some students would board with various families and some would drive every day. John Dwyers and Leo Otters were among those who drove every day. When Eileen Sheetz wanted to come to Leoville, she would drive and the girls would ride with her.

During Father Sander�s tenure there was enough interest that a bus was purchased to transport pupils to Leoville and back each day with a student driving the bus. It continued until the Leoville High School was closed in 1969.

In the '50s, it became mandatory to have a larger gym for school athletics so in 1954 an addition was built on to the west side of the school.

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