DEER CREEK SCHOOL HAS A HOMECOMING.
Former Pupils, Teachers and Patrons of School Organized in 1871, Meet, Eat and Reminisce.
(The following comprehensive report of the recent homecoming celebration of the Deer Creek school district was written by Mrs. N. D. Evans (nee Mattie Simmons) of Battle Creek, in her younger days a teacher of the school.)
At 2 p.m. Friday August 22, cars gathered at the Deer Creek school house for an event that will not soon be forgotten by those present. All came with well filled lunch baskets and the anticipation of hearing a well planned program to be given by former patrons, teachers, and schoolmates. In planning this event, the first of this kind to be given by this school, no efforts were spared to make a profitable and pleasant affair. Even the weather man was at his best. Among the crowd of nearly three hundred present, as registered by Miss Rose Schroeder, were two of the first pupils registered in the school, organized in 1871. They were Mrs. George Haight of Battle Creek and Mrs. Conrad Hansen of Pierce. Twelve former teachers were present, several from other counties and one from Council Bluffs, Iowa. There were also present several former pupils from out of the state and greetings were sent from Los Angeles, California, by Mrs. W. H. Palmer, also Mrs. Malone of Madison who was away on a vacation. With Louis Braun as chairman the program began at 3 p.m. with an invocation by Rev. Hutchinson of Meadow Grove. .America. was sung by the gathering accompanied by Mrs. Ruth Scott at the piano. The address of welcome was given by Miss Violet Schroeder who was a former pupil of the school. The response was given by Mrs. N. D. Evans, probably better known in the community as Mattie Simmons. Mrs. Evans, who at one time was a teacher at Deer Creek, commented upon the modern building and equipment and upon the advancement made in education and all lines of work since the organization of this school.
Mrs. Hall, our popular superintendent of schools who is a candidate for re-election without opposition, then gave an address presenting Mrs. Haight who had complied a history of the school. Mrs. Hall discoursed upon what comprised history and in a humorous way, which brought much applause, illustrated with school experiences of her own, the meaning of work history. In presenting Mrs. Haight, Mrs. Hall compared the wedding days of the past with those of the present, remarking what a brave man Mr. Haight must have been to whittle out a potato masher and a rolling pin on the eve of their wedding. Mrs. Haight followed on the program, giving a short talk followed by the presentation of the history of the school to Mr. Fowlkes, president of the school board. Mrs. Harry Reavis of Battle Creek read the history.
The Rodekohr quartet, members of which were at one time pupils of the school, gave a pleasing number followed by an encore. Miss Bernice Braun, at one time pupil, also teacher of the school, gave a humorous reading in a very able manner as was manifested by the hearty applause, to which she responded with another humorous number.
The program was concluded by an address given by a boy who received his primary education in the Deer Creek school under the tutelage of Miss Elizabeth Zimmerman, now of Omaha. After graduating from high school and the university he was admitted to the bar becoming a practicing attorney. He can pride himself upon the fact that he is the youngest man to be elected to the office of county judge of Madison county, also upon receiving every vote polled in this home township for that office. This boy is no other than our own Judge Ernest Reeker. The ovation with which Judge Reeker was received showed the high regard with which he is held in his home school. Judge Reeker began his address by relating incidents of his early school life, branching out into his chosen line of work and his present office. He adjured the people to go to the polls and cast their votes for the men of their choice to legislate for them as a remedy for some of the evils of the present day. He closed with the thought that not more legislation is needed in the country but more christianity, more of the good old fashioned religion.
Following the program, time was given for old friends to exchange greetings while the ladies of the community arranged the bountiful lunch of fried chicken and all its accompaniments, to be served cafeteria style with hot coffee and lemonade. After everyone had been served and had eaten until too full for utterance, the friends bid farewell and in their sixty-eight cars left for their various homes well pleased with the entertainment and reception that had been accorded them. All joined in the commendation of the Deer Creek people upon the success of their first homecoming and hoped for many more such reunions in the future. Source: Battle Creek Enterprise, Thursday, August 28, 1930, page 1