CONGREGATIONAL CHILDREN (Fig. 7-3) 1st row: L-R; Lucy Clark; __; Eva Richardson; Mae Wardle; Rose Slater; Edna Slater; Nellie Cowan; Grace Slater; Bill Slater; Hattie Lavallie; Mary Jane Slater 2nd row: L-R; Alma Chadwick; Amasa Clark; Phil Slater; Ora Foy; Eugene Slater; Frank Lavallie; Burt Cowan; Roy Cowan; Walt Richardson; Dick Slater; George Wardle; Ezra Holley; Lewis Cowan; Pearl Slater; ; Ada Richardson 3rd row: L-R; May Cowan; Bernice Williams; Annie Slater; Priscilla Cowan; Allie Bybee; _; Charles Slater; Clarence Cowan 4th row: L-R; Charles Richardson; Mike Howell; James Slater; John Richardson; James Wilson; Walt Bybee; William Wardle; _; Allen Wardle; Miss Yoder teacher; Nell Richardson Four boys behind 3rd row: L-R Laurence Bybee; _; Charles Slater; Clarence Cowan -64- Ministers besides Mr. Shrimley assigned to preside at the Church at intervals over the years included in line of duty, Reverends: Williams, Johnson, Bailey, and Perry. Mrs. Cowen, mentioned above, happily remarked, that Reverend Perry, in 1896, performed the ceremony uniting her and hen husband William in holy wedlock. This performance of duty on the part of the minister took place only a short time before his ministry and services at the Church were terminated. The Church, naturally, was the motivating force behind all religious procedures and exerted persuasive influence in selection of teachers, ministers, and teachers, who served in their respective professions. Oven the years, these people from the different professions were about equal in numbers. Mrs. Shrimley was the first person to teach in the New West building, while her husband served there in a ministeral capacity. Her teaching career, however, was cut short by her unexpected death shortly after the close of school in the spring of 1877, which was a shock to the community and almost fatal to Reverend Shrimley whose health had been ailing for several years. In the fall of that year arrangements were completed to open school on schedule. A young lady from the East named Miss Lyman was employed and taught the succeeding three years to the spring of 1880. At the close of that year, she handed in her resignation and returned to her home, A young lady named Mary 0. Tabor, who lived in Iowa, was employed in the summer of 1880 and in the fall of that year assumed principalship of the school and held that position unintenrupted during the decade from 1880 to 1890. During the ten yeans she proved to be a patient, couragous, and very competent instructor. Near the last of the 1880's, she married to Charles Webb, a native citizen, which caused considerable apprehension among school authorities as to whether or not she would continue to teach in the future. After retirement for the first three years of the 1890's she was prevailed on to teach again as an emergency teacher to relieve an unfortunate situation. Miss Yoder, a competent young lady, who was also a native of Iowa, taught during that three year period, but at the close of the third year in the spring of 1893 unexpectedly turned in her resignation to return to her home, leaving the community without a teacher, with but one more yean to go before school would have been closed permanently in that locality. The last term of school convened with Mrs. Webb in charge in the fall of that year. Failure to procure services of another teacher to relieve her, made it incumbent on her to continue to the close of the season in the spring of 1894. Regardless of efforts of civic leaders and fine contributions made by clergy of the Church to make the independent school as successful as possible, history of education in that locality is not impressive. Failure to maintain educational standards and traditions of a once united community, was undoubtedly the primary cause which stemmed from an attitude of indifference on the part of children and parents, rather than as some infer, lack of interest and initiative on the part of teachers whose qualifications were beyond reproach. -65-