The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-10-16
BIOGRAPHY OF
LURAL,. PERRINE

LUNA IL. ] E1llAllVl
Miss Lura L. Perrine, whose obse:
quies were held at the Normal schoo
Yesterday was native of, Michigan
the daughter of Rev. William Henry
Perrine, A. M. D. D., and Livonia Ell
len Benedict. She received her early
education in the home, her mother be-
ing graduate Of Hilsdale College
the first woman in Michigan to receive
degree and for many years most
successful teacher.
After the death of the father Miss
Perrine's mother and sister came to
North Dakota in 1882 and settled on
= land in .LaMoure county near what is
now Midbury Here for ten years
thew conducted the farm, Miss Per-
rine teaching a rural school in winter
and finally teaching in the towns OF
LaMoure, Cakes and Glendale. Her
work and scholarly attainments at
tracted the attention Of Superlnten-
dent John Ogden and other educators
of that time so that when an assistant
was needed at the young Normal
school at Valley City, she was rec
commended. Her work in Valley City
began in January 1892, and she has
been continuously connected with the
school from that date till her death.
At first she was general assist
ant and taught the subjects others
did not want to teach.
Upon the arrival of President Geo.
A. Mcfarland in August, 1892, she
was assigned the department OF SCI
ence. In 1902 her field was narrowed
to the science of geography, geology
and botany.
Excessive application to duty made
a leave of absence imperative and she
was on leave of absence for some time.
Upon her return she was made cura-
tor of the schools museum, most OF
the material in which she had collect
ed and this collection was supple
mented by enormous collections OF her
own.
She continued in this relation till
her death.
Miss Perrine graduated from aAl-
bion College in 1880 and has been a
student al her life. She has been not
ed for her encyclopedia and accurate
scholarship and for her careful and
scientific teaching. She was woman
of answering DEVOTION to high prln-
ciples and devout member all her life
of the Methodist church. Few if any
people in North Dakota equalled her
in the thoroughness of her scholarship.
She was artistic of temperament and
wide awake to all departments of
learning and culture. Her beloved
museum has absorbed all of her wan
ing energies for the past several
wears. But she has made it a mecca
for all returning students and for VS.
itors. Her intense interest in the col
lection, her broad knowledge and her
patience in explaining them all for
strangers made an intense impression
upon the minds of all her guests.
To what extent we'll Informed and
cultured mind like hers has contri-
buted to the development Of the plo-
neer state, neither prophet nor his
torian can ever estimate, but fortu-
nate the state that has a considerable
number of such teachers. Such lives
are operated on the principle of "Ev-
erything for others, nothing for self. "
Their services condemn the policy Of
parsimony by which teachers are re-
warded for their daily work. But
Lura L. Perrine has rich reward IN
the appreciation of thousands OF
Young people to whom she has intro
duced the beauties and wonders of the
earth beneath their feet; ''the Won
ders of the heavens above them as
well as the soul within them" North
Dakota and the Normal school has
lost it's most scholarly member and So
ciety a modest and efficient worker.
Miss Perrine died in Vancouver, B.
c., on Tuesday afternoon, October Z,
1919. Her remains were brought
back to Valley City for interment
Tuesday morning and the funeral was
held in the auditorium Tuesday after
noon at 2:3O. The faculty and stu
dents of the school as we'll as the stu
dents of the High school attended the
services in body to attest their deep
respect for the one who had gone to
her eternal rest and the one who had
played large part in teaching the
young people who are scattered over
the prairies Of this state as well as In
other parts Of the country. A quartet
consisting of Miss Chambard, Mrs. Ed
Bloom, and Messrs. J. B. Meyer anc
C. A. Lee furnished music for the oc
casion. Rev. J. S. Wilds preached {
beautiful sermon from the text Bless
are they which die in the Lord" HI
spoke Of the high christian character
of Miss Perrine and the modest lift
which she led and stated that while
she was gone from earth her teaching
and fine example would leave behin'
greater service for humanity. MI
Wilds paid great tribute to he
character and her ability as schola
and teacher. At the conclusion 0
his sermon he introduced George A
Mcfarland, former president of tn
Normal school and with whom she ha
been closely identified in teaching an
in the development Of this splendl
institution for so many years. MI
Mcfarland gave also fine and touch
ing tribute to the life and characte
of Miss Perrine reviewing the now
qualities of this good woman who ha
spent the best part Of her life at TT
Normal in the capacity of teacher.
addition to that Miss Perrine was tt
one who went to the bedside of nj