We have been learning about Verlane and Lois Willard growing up with their three sisters on their farm in Sodus Township, Lyon County and attending the District 84 country school.

Verlane described the girls’ fashion of the time.

“Mom braided our hair every morning. Those were the days when our dresses were made from flour sacks by our moms and we wore jackets, snowpants, and 4-buckle boots in the winter.”

The sisters shared special memories of their time in country school. Many of those memories involved their recess periods.

(Verlane) “We had recess in the morning and again in the afternoon. (Lois) We got to go out for a half hour. It was always outside. Wintertime or no, you’d just take your boots and go outside. (Verlane) It was a big yard. It must have been about an acre of land. (Lois) Yeah, and we always wanted to drown gophers because they were running all over out there. We had a hand pump outside for water.”

The school had a unique piece of playground equipment that was a big favorite.

(Lois) “We had swings that went around. (Verlane) They were iron swings that went around in a circle. (Lois) It was on a pole and you’d grab on. We’d hang onto the bar and you’d get it going. (Verlane) You’d start running. You’d have to run. (Lois) Then you’d lift your legs up and away you go! (Verlane laughed) Some of the bigger kids, like my older sister and Bernice VanLoken, would get it going really fast. I was always short and once they got it going so fast that I must have been six feet in the air. The teacher rang the bell for recess to be over, so I just dropped off because you had to go in when the bell rang!” (She laughed)

District 84 had other playground equipment and the kids played outside games as well.

(Lois) “We had a slide. (Verlane) And we had a teeter-totter, but I think that rotted out. (Lois) And we always wanted to play ball — softball. (Verlane) We did relay races; Pump, Pump, Pullaway; and tag. In the winter, when there was snow on the ground, we’d make a big, round circle and play Fox and Geese.”

The sisters also recalled a particular school incident that triggered laughter at Verlane’s expense.

(Verlane) “Once I was using the bathroom during class time and decided to sing a song. (Lois chuckled) She didn’t know that everybody could hear her in the bathroom. The teacher had to come and get her. (Verlane) I came out and everybody was laughing. I thought, ‘What are you laughing about?’ (Verlane laughed) I never did that again!”

Their first teacher, planned lessons and activities that the sisters still appreciated many decades later. One activity involved making candy.

(Lois) We had a great teacher, Oma Johnson, who taught 1st through 8th grade. (Verlane, laughing) “We called her Teacher. She was very good. (Lois) One day she told us, ‘Come to school one hour later tomorrow. I have a surprise for you.’ She had wax paper and butter for our hands on our desks and we pulled taffy. Then she would come by and cut it and we could put it in a bag and take it home because we never had candy at home.”

Several planned school activities involved arts and crafts

(Lois) When we were done with our homework, we could paint figurines. (Verlane) They were little plaster molds. Some were horses. (Lois) You could do different ones. She made them and if we got our assignments done, we could work on them. She supplied the paint. (Verlane) At Christmas she always had something for us to make for our moms. I remember once I gave Mom a breadboard. (Teacher) cut out the wood, painted around the edge, and she had a decal to put on so that it was my gift. She must have taught me about embroidery because I did a dish towel for Mom one year for Christmas.”

Verlane explained that Christmastime also meant the school’s Christmas program.

“I remember they even had curtains hung across the classroom, so they pulled the curtains before we had the big production. We had to learn parts for the Christmas program. I knew my lines. I had to say, ‘We were all toys in Santa’s bag.’ I was a doll and said, ‘I was so scared, all of my sawdust went to my toes.’ Everybody laughed and I couldn’t understand what they were laughing about. I was sure I had said it right. Jim Blomme was so shy his first year, he just stood next to me and couldn’t say his lines. (Verlane chuckled) The mothers all brought lunch, so we had a real party after our play.”

Lois remembered a learning activity that excited both her and her teacher.

“I will never forget when we were learning about cotton in geography class. She told me to take all the fuzz off the seed and plant it in a large can at home. Mom had an old coffee can. I got dirt from outside and planted it in there and put it on top of the wood stove where it was warm. It started growing. The next year it had a big cotton boll on it, so I had to show it to her. She was so thrilled that it grew!”

All five of the Willard sisters attended District 84, but only the oldest of them attended through the 8th grade.

©2026 William D. Palmer.