The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-11-16

nuts ana huSkod corn In the au.
tumn, visited, had donations for the
preacher and went to school In the
winter. Then came the time when
we must move away. Uncle Ro-
bert's boys one by one went OF to
school or business until finally the
farm was sold to Bert Payne's
no more. Lizzie Crandalps husband
soon sold out the the Hynsons, our
good neighbors for many years. but
of who only Mason and John re-
main. residents. Sister Coffin died
and the family scattered. most of
them now in Montana New fam
lilies began buying into the district,
clearing OF the timber and laying
the foundations for the comfortable
homes you see now.
In 1874 the frame schoolhouse
was built on the corner Of the Lea
witt farm, and that marked the Sec
ond period in the history OF Spring
Island. My father had bought what
Is now part Of Mr.. Kroeger's place,
and the summer OF '76 I went to
school in that schoolhouse for a
few weeks then began nv career as
teacher myself. Lettie Mead taught
two summers then the whole Callins
femily went west. first to California
then to Oregon where many Of them
lie. buried. Timothy Leayitt taught
five winters. TT '7S. 10 80 and IS
and taught two summers. Between
| others, Ida Long, Louisa Price Jen-
ME McBeth. the Parry girls, Myrtle
Mills, Bertha Award, Mr.. and Miss
Judd, and David Crane. ! believe
the school registers are still in
existence, and it would prove inter
estng no doubt, to list not only
teachers but pupils whose names are
written there. But that pleasure is
not for me. A few loose threads
gathered up and my work is done.
| The little dark eyed Mary Cap
linger was Mrs. John Shannon for
many years and lies buried at Stew
ensville, Mont, where John Is still
, living. Charles lives In Oklahoma
| Andrew is a rancher in Montana
VIII finishing years of usefulness
In the ministry and the Society
for the Friendless," Dave In south
ern WASHINGTON. Ed and Cyrus in
northern Minnesota. Their one sis
ter Lizzie a widow now. Is spending
her declining years in Hillsboro
Ore, with Letae Meat McCount as
valued neighbor.
Timothy and Henry Leav''-
holding claims and leaving sacred
graves in Redwood county. are max
ing their homes, one In Florida and
the other in Ashland, Oregan
GRANDMA, weary with the burden and
heat Of the day, long ago went to
his rest, leaving faithful Seymour
/ to be the pride and stay of his aged
mother until she, too, was laid away
We all hoped that Seymour, after his
lifetime. Of unselfish service, might
have years in which to enjoy him
self in his own way, but only two
were vouchsafed,. then Timothy
brought back his lifeless body from
Houston. Texas, to lay it beside
his parents.
OF my own family only the boys
and l are left. Ny mother was
killed in an accident In 1894, and ten
years later my father, true to Spring
Island to the last, died there on
, the old place from which my sister
Mary had been buried in 1896. Ras
. Wyoming, Judd practicing law in
tension work in Wisconsin. and Ar
thur in newspaper work in Albany
B Oregon.
! have said nothing of the Ides,
Falbecks, Marshes, Millers and manE
others who have come and gone in
!! Spring Island, nor the hundred and
one good friends and neighbors and
their families who now make up the
population of the district. II would
p; take a book to contain all the in
teresting items about them, and a
much better historian than to write
it. Mind It woS only to leave some
light record Of the early times and
We people who helped make them
! have told so little-I could wish
! Alma Coffin, Timothy Leavitt, Cou-
sin VIII. or some of the others had
taken the pen In my place. but
have done by best. Nav the "Spring
leland Community Club" never die
but ever uphold the high standards
! set by its pioneers,