Second volume of Lake County Country School History unveiled
Berl Tiskus
With a smile on her face, Joyce Decker Wegner holds up a copy of Volume II of the Lake County School History.
Berl Tiskus
Lake County Country School Historians present on June 20 are Dan Brander, left, Donna Bowman Smith, Julene Hatlin, Eugene Felsman, Alvaretta Morin, Anna Mae Brander, Harold Kent, Joyce Decker Wegner, Helen Johnson McClellan, Lillian Johnson Stephenson, Carol Swope and Glen Timm.
Berl Tiskus
Charlo resident Harold Kent pages through volume two of Lake County School History. Kent, 91, started school in the North Moiese schoolhouse.
Berl Tiskus
Joyce Decker Wegner shares a chuckle with Oscar Baertsch.
Berl Tiskus
A hand quilted design by Kate Ike graces the cover of both volumes of the Lake County School History books.
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POLSON — Joyce Decker Wegner held up “Lake County School History, Volume II, Once Flathead County: Many Districts Become One” and received a round of applause for the book’s debut on June 20 in the Lake County Courthouse.
Decker Wegner, the Flathead Reservation Area Historical Society and the Lake County Country School Historians have put countless volunteer hours and 15 years into the two volumes of the history of country schools in Lake County. Volume I was published in 2010.
In his foreword, Harry Fritz, Ph.D., Department of History, University of Montana, said, “At first glance, a volume entitled “Lake County School History” would appear to be an arid institutional study. Take another glance. This is an exceptional inquiry into an important segment of any community’s past, and an excellent addition to the library of Montana history.”
From the book’s cover — a color photograph of a hand quilted schoolhouse — to the roomful of people who attended the book’s unveiling, it’s easy to tell this book is important to many people.
Decker Wegner spearheaded the effort, but she had help from many Lake County Country School Historians, all spending countless hours interviewing, writing, editing, finding, scanning and uncovering the names of people in the photos, “all volunteer work with nobody getting a salary for it,” she said.
She also thanked co-writer Glen Timm of the Polson schools chapter. Timm is a local journalist, pilot and writer. A personal thank-you went to Decker Wegner’s husband, Garry, who was “my first editor.” Decker Wegner said Garry had packed boxes of the books in and out of every school around and even gave up garage space for the book boxes.
Reading the list of all the folks involved in the books, Decker Wegner said, “You can hear tears in my voice — far too many of them are gone.”
While many have passed, two students who attended early area schools were present — Emerald Barker and Harold Kent. Barker said she went to the St. Ignatius Academy and other tribal schools.
Kent, who turns 91 this year, began his school career in 1941 at North Moiese School. From there he transferred to D’Aste School through fifth grade. Kent’s favorite teacher was Marsha Rae Wells, who had Kent as a pupil from fifth through eighth grade.
Wells was his favorite because she was “just like one of the class” and related well to all her pupils, Kent remembered.
His graduating class in Charlo numbered 26. Remaining members of Kent’s class and others in that era are getting together for a class reunion July 4 through 7 at Charlo High School.
“I really don’t know how many are left,” Kent said.
Regardless of how many graduates show up, Kent’s copies of the Lake County Country School History, Volumes I and II, will be popular reading.
About 300 copies of Volume I remain, and copies of each book are available for $29.95 each. If more than one book is sold, the price drops to $25 per book, a bargain for the more than 1,136 pages of stories, pictures and history.
Books will be available locally for purchase at the office of the Lake County Superintendent of Schools, both Polson and Ronan Community Banks, The Cove in Polson, and through board members. Mail orders may be purchased by completing an order form and enclosing a check to FRA Historical Society and mailed to Joyce Wegner, PO Box 1040, Condon, MT 59826.
