Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-30
Miss Nancy Frey is a Unique
Figure Among Iona Pedagogues

Sigourney, Dec. 2S-(Towa Evening
Press. Perhaps the most unique
character to be found in the entire
country, woman who has the record
OF teaching her ninety-first term in the
public school before infirmities made
1t impossible for her to continue, is
Miss Nancy Frey of Sigourney, an
aunt of Mrs. S. G. Allender, who re-
sides on Lee avenue in Ottumwa.
Since her illness, caused by a stroke
OF paralysis, which took place about a
month ago while in her class room in
country school near Richland In
Keokuk county, Miss Frey has been
with her sister, Mrs. P N. Hardman,
the wife of physician in Sigourney.
This venerable pedagogue passed her
seventy-fourth milestone December Is
and aside from holding potion that
Is unique among school teachers, she is
dearly beloved by the people in the
community all Of whom know her by
her sunny disposition and spirit OF
cheerfulness that she sheds upon ALL
The unusual record Of having taught
three generations among many of the
families Of Keokuk county, Is another
of her unique accomplishments and
there are many of the people in that
vicinity among whom grandparents,
parents and the present generation are
numbered among her pupils past and
present. Her first school was that Of
East Liberty, Ohio. where she entered
as tot Of six years, and at the age of
eighteen began her career as teacher.
She came to Iowa in 1868, and con-
tinued her vocation Of teacher I'M
ceasingly until stroke of paralysis
early in November caused her to give
up her work At the state meeting of
Iowa Teachers, held in Davenport last
winter, Miss Frey responded to num-
Der on the program and won one of
the greatest ovations of any speaker
present at the convention. Notwith
standing her infirmity and advanced
age. Miss Frey insists that upon re-
covery she will resume her teaching.
The paper given by Miss Frey at
Davenport follows:
Fellow teachers, l am glad to be
with you this morning, although | ar
rived at the eleventh hour. | would
have been glad to have been present
during the entire session of the con-
vention. But my school work was
such that at least felt that it was al
most impossible | feel very grateful
to the committee for honoring me with
a place on the program. 1t is with no
little degree of embarra ssment that |
appear before you at this time, being
unaccustomed to public speaking.
will promise you, however, that will
not weary your patience very long.
You will notice by referring to the
program that they have sandwiched
me in between two noted speakers.
Therefore, if l should fail to interest
you, you can comfort yourselves with
the thought that as the song says,
it Is better farther on But to the
text. The subject which has been as
signed to me naturally carries the
mind back to other days. I am not
one of that class of persons who are
continually living in the past, for
while the world is moving forward, |
am still striving to keep up with the
procession In imagination, this morn
ing, l am a child again. I remember
distinctly when we children and
grown-up children as we'll, hurrahed!
for 'Tippecanoe and Tyler too But
as this is a teachers meeting. we will
confine our thoughts and recollections
to school work and to experiences in
teaching. I remember we'll, when I en-
tered school at the age of six years. a
brief description of the schoolhouse
may not be out Of place. 1t stood just
at the edge of small village, called
East Liberty in the eastern part IF
Delaware county. Ohio. 1t was a rud ?
log hut with split puncheon for a
floor. The seats were rude benches,
made of slabs, with holes bored in
them and pins driven In for support,
The writing desk consisted of broad
boards fastened against the wall with
stout wooden pins. The windows con-
tanned no glass, but instead. paper had
been pasted in them, which had been
oiled to permit the light to enter more
readily. The fire place was an open
space in one side Of the room with q
chimney built of sticks and mud. Oft
en- and often in the last few months
have I compared in my mind this first
building with the one where l am now
teaching new building with mod
ern appliances for ventilation, seated
with up-to-date seats, and furnished
with slate blackboards. BY the way
such thing as blackboard was not
| lIlOuRuI
was a child. People of the present
day would not consider such build
ing as the one first described, suit
able place to shelter their domestic
animals to say nothing about their
children. For the next few years the
same conditions existed, except that
the floors were made with sawed lum-
Der and the windows were made Oh
glass instead OF paper
"Rude as were these surroundings,
many of us were gaining knowledge
! day by day which has been useful to
us all through life. The children and
young people of the present day do not
realize the privileges they enjoy nor
the opportunities afforded them for
obtaining an education. From early
Diabetic Gangrene Claims Victim.
Sioux City, Dec. 2S.-As result of