Week 15 – School Days (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 2024 Version)

The theme for Week 15 is "School Days." Any teachers, principals, or school staff in your family tree? What about favorite stories of attending school or fun things you've found in school records or yearbooks? Click here to see all the prompts for 2024.

My mother was a teacher for a year. After graduating college from LaCrosse, Wisconsin, she went to work in the DePere, Wisconsin area as a PhyEd, Science and Math instructor. She met her first husband and were married within a year, thus she quit teaching once she was married.

Her sister, my Aunt Mary went to college in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and taught from graduation all the way through to retirement. Her first job was in my hometown of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She taught one year there and then was able to obtain a job in her hometown of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin where she taught 3rd grade, I believe at the same elementary school during her entire career. She retired in the late 1980’s and even had to learn how to use a PC during her final year(s) of teaching. My aunt Mary is who helped me with my genealogy. I didn’t realize she was interested in genealogy until a family reunion in the 1990’s. 

We collaborated together for the next year; I gave her a computer to input all the pages of a book we published. She was using an electric typewriter. She was hooked on computers when she realized she didn’t have to start from scratch, if she wanted to insert new something on a page. 

I ended up working for a Community College in Arizona as the Enrollment Services Specialist. Basically, I was in charge of registration, collecting registration fees and verifying online enrollment. My busiest months were January and August. However, they slowly were offering more and more classes that started almost anytime of the year and my job had more busy days than not.

My eldest son works for an Elementary School in Sheboygan, Wisconsin as the computer tech support/library aide. This job was critical during the Pandemic when students were be taught remotely. He had to track the Chromebooks that were lent to the students, help teachers who might have issues with their on-line classes. While instructors could teach at home, he had to come into school everyday and be available to support the technology needs of students and teachers alike. 

Remember to have fun and Just Do Genealogy!