Students of the Sheldall Schoolhouse
During the first six years of its existence, the Sheldall Schoolhouse simply kept a running list of the enrolled students, making it difficult to determine when each student actually began their education at the schoolhouse. It is also difficult to determine when a student would have graduated from the Sheldall Schoolhouse. Due to the labor intensive nature of farm life, children were often forced to put their education on hold in order to help out around the farm. The following list can be found in "The Sheldall Schoolhouse: Historical Sketch," and simply outlines when students enrolled in the Sheldall Schoolhouse and their teachers for each term.
1859-1865: StudentsRasmus, Anna, Malinda and Erick Sheldall; Henry, Oscar, Anna, Betsy and Tom Henderson; Ole, Anna, Sam, Oliver and Malinda Larson; Lewis, Catherine and Taurina Charlson; Ole, Tome, Endre, Andrias and Aasa Braland; George H. Thompson; Valencia and Florence Biggs; Sarah Griffith; Bertha and Helen Christenson (Tjernagel); Olog, Caroline, and Malinda Olson; Charles, Emily, Albert, and Olof Knutson; Dave and Tom Reagan; Charley and Betsy Charlson; Andrew, Carrie, and Henry Williams; Joren Boyd; Emma, Amy, and Louise Walters; Ole and Osmund Ritland; Mary Owenson; Christen and Lars Christenson (Tjernagel); Andrew, Martha and Ida Anderson; Knut, John, and Betsy Knutson; Nels Peterson; Peter and Bertel Pearson; Will and R.L. Montgomery, Syvert Syvertson, Andrew Knutson, Martha Sheldall, Anna Skimmeland; Thomas and Christian Knutson; Mary and Julia Olson; Betsy Pearson; Ada, Clara, and Alba Hall; Sampson Wier.
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1859-1865: TeachersSpring 1859-1860: Elijah Griffith
Winter 1860-1861: Captain William A. Wier Winter 1861- Summer 1862: O.A. Hall Summer 1862- Winter 1863: John Deffenbecker Spring 1863: Martha Ballard Fall 1863: Martha Martin Winter 1863-1864: Sarah Ballard 1865: Susan J. Springer It is very likely that the sudden increase in female teachers after 1863 was due in large part to men leaving to fight in the Civil War. |
1866: StudentsAnna Knutson; Elsie and Anna Bergeson; Sam Anderson; Helen, Sarah, and Knut Knutson; Erick England; Edwin Owenson; Anfin and Julia Anfinson.
1867: StudentsWilliam, Charley and George Olmstead; Frank Wier; Ole and Isabelle Johnson; Isabelle Knutson; Ole Olson; Cecelia Scott; Oliver, George and Thomas Boyd; Jake Egland; Andrew Larson; John Johnson.
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1866: TeachersWinter 1865-1866: Susan J. Springer
Spring 1866: Susan J. Springer Winter 1866-1867: G.W. Castle
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1868: StudentsLewis J. Tjernagel; Hannah Thompson; Lizzie Olson; Jacob Weltha; Charlie and Lewis Johnson; Ono Olverson; Martha Knutson; Lena Ludvig.
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1868: TeachersWinter and Summer 1868: Henry L. Henderson
Winter 1868-1869: G.W. Castle |
1869: StudentsMartin L. Henderson, Peter G. Tjernagel; John Larson; Swen Larson; Mary and Anna Thompson; John Carston; Anna Charlson; John Loss; Sarah Ludvig.
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1869: TeachersWinter 1868-1869: G.W. Castle
Spring 1869: Mary Dickoph Winter 1869-1870: George J. Pierson |
1870: StudentsCharlie Charlson; Betsy, Caroline, and Erick Charlson; Julia Knutson; Lena Weltha; Ellen Thompson; Tobias Larson; Randy Larson; Lizzie Braland; Oliver and Andrew Anderson; Jane and John Ludvig; Jacob Wilson; Mattie and Stone Mortvedt; Hans C. Gydeson.
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1870: teachersWinter 1869-1870: George J. Pierson
Spring 1870: Rigena Nelson Winter 1870-1871: Agnes Briggs |
1871: StudentsLonnie Johnson; Malinda Knutson; George L. Thompson; Betsey Wilson; George Johnson.
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1871: TeachersWinter 1870-1871: Agnes Briggs
Fall and Winter 1871: Rigena Nelson |
1872: StudentsOle Knutson; Berge Ponsnes; Michas Henderson; Henry and Nels Henderson; Harry and Nellie Larson; Bertha Larson; Canute Canuteson; Ole J. Sandness; Eric Sheldall; John Halvorson-Mickelson.
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1872: TeachersWinter 1871-1872: Rigena Nelson
Fall and Winter 1872: George F. Tucker |
1873: StudentsAnnie Charlson; Annas Henderson; Henry Nelson; Nehemias Tjernagel; Thomas Johnson; Martha Weltha; Jennie Wilson.
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1873: TeachersWinter 1872-1873: George F. Tucker
Spring and Winter 1873: Anna E. Hunter |
1874: StudentsBertha Knutson; Gudmond Rorem; Lars Ponsness
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1874: TeachersWinter 1873-1874: Anna E. Hunter
Spring and Winter 1874: Lewis F. Anderson |
1875: StudentsHannah Weltha; Anna Knutson; Belle Williams; Severin Holverson-Mickelson; O.T.V. Thompson; Henry M. Tjernagel; Martha Larson.
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1875: TeachersWinter, Spring, and Winter 1875: Lewis F. Anderson
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1876: StudentsMalinda Sheldall; Virginia Wier; Hannah Braland; Edward Braland; Zebulon and Gerhard Morrison.
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1876: teachersWinter 1875-1876: Lewis F. Anderson
Spring and Winter 1876: Alice Hartman |
1877: StudentsLewis Sheldall; Andrew L. Henderson; George and Mary Christianson; Joseph Johnson; Charles Knutson; Joachim Espe.
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1877: TeachersWinter 1876-1877: Alice Hartman
Spring 1877: Christ Thoreson Winter 1877-1878: O.M. Wiester |
1878: StudentsLorenda Henderson; Annie and Jennie Christianson; Alex Henderson; Annie Larson; Hannah Charlson; Martin Sheldall.
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1878: TeachersWinter, Spring, and Winter 1878: O.M. Wiester
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1879: StudentsSarah G. Olson; Betsy Johnson; Henry T. Anfinson; Minnie Nelson.
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1879: TeachersWinter 1878-1899 & Spring 1879: O.M. Wiester
Winter 1879-1880: B.F. Maricle |
1880: StudentsTaurine Knutson; Ole and Annie Peterson; Isabelle Larson; Andrew, Lizzie, Anna and George Anderson; Martha Olson; Sivert Opstvedt; Julia Larson; Albert Henderson.
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1880: TeachersWinter 1879-1880: B.F. Maricle
Spring 1880: R.G. Pierce Winter 1880-1881: W.H. Wier |
1881: StudentsMathila Christianson; Ole Nelson; Mary Charleston; Anna Henderson; Nettie and Franklin Maakestad.
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1881: TeachersWinter 1880-1881: W.H. Wier
Spring 1881: O.B. Peterson Winter 1881-1882: Maggie Smith |
1882: StudentsTheodore Knutson; Helen and Betsy Shaw; Andreas Rasmusson; E. Johnson; Christ Adolph Sakarisson.
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1882: TeachersWinter 1881-1882: Maggie Smith
Spring 1882: Mary B. Christenson Winter 1882-1883: Nellie Richardson |
1883: StudentsHans Johnson; John Sandness; Malinda Larson; Martin O. Tjernagel; Lewis Charleston; Martin Sevold; Hans and Knut Larson; Aggie Frette.
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1883: TeachersWinter 1882-1883: Nellie Richardson
Spring 1883: Lewis Tjernagel Winter 1883-1884: Nellie Richardson |
1884: StudentsEllen Braland; Ole J. Henderson; Henry Afinson; Andrena Larson; Annie Sandness; Annie Henderson; Thomas and Alex Rasmusson; Henry Henderson.
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1884: TeachersWinter, Spring, and Winter 1884: Nellie Richardson
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1885: StudentsJennie and Minnie Hanson; Bertha Johnson.
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1885: TeachersWinter 1884-1885: Nellie Richardson
Spring 1885: O.O. Burton |
Sheldall Class Photo 1884
Back Row (left to right): Tom Larson (age 21), Nehemias Tjernagel (15), Michas Henderson (17), Teacher: Nellie Richardson, Martin Sevold (16), Annas Henderson (14), Albert Henderson (9)
Second Row: Martin Sheldall (10), Leslie Sheldall?, Alex Henderson (12), ?,?,?, Andrew Henderson (13), Henry Tjernagel, Franklin Maakestad (8)
First Row: Nettie Maakestad (9), Hannah Weltha (15), Anna Christenson (13), Martha/Anna Larson (14), Malinda Sheldall (14), Gurine/Julia Larson (12), Lorenda Henderson (11), Anna Henderson (9)
Three Unknown Boys: Henry Larson (13), Ole Nelson (12), Eric Sheldall (12)
Students Absent from the Photo: Charles Knutson, Ole Henderson, Ellen Braland, Martin Larson, Andrew Rasmusson, Annie Henderson, and Henry Henderson
Second Row: Martin Sheldall (10), Leslie Sheldall?, Alex Henderson (12), ?,?,?, Andrew Henderson (13), Henry Tjernagel, Franklin Maakestad (8)
First Row: Nettie Maakestad (9), Hannah Weltha (15), Anna Christenson (13), Martha/Anna Larson (14), Malinda Sheldall (14), Gurine/Julia Larson (12), Lorenda Henderson (11), Anna Henderson (9)
Three Unknown Boys: Henry Larson (13), Ole Nelson (12), Eric Sheldall (12)
Students Absent from the Photo: Charles Knutson, Ole Henderson, Ellen Braland, Martin Larson, Andrew Rasmusson, Annie Henderson, and Henry Henderson
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Above is a photo taken in 1884 of the Sheldall School students. Two of these photos have been donated to the Museums of Story City, and in both cases the donors were kind enough the record the names of the students on the back. In the photo on the left, you can see that the donor wrote the names of the students according to the row they were sitting in, but had difficulty remembering the names of three of the boys in the second row. The photo on the right has the names of the students and their ages, but they are not in any particular order. By comparing these two photos we were able to match the ages to the students and identify the three unknown boys, although we cannot be sure which boy is which.
There was also another small discrepancy in comparing the two photos. In the photo on the left, two of the girls are identified as Martha and Gurine Larson, and in the photo on the right they are identified as Anna and Julia Larson. It is possible that these young girls were simply taking on more Americanized versions of their traditional Norwegian names.
There was also another small discrepancy in comparing the two photos. In the photo on the left, two of the girls are identified as Martha and Gurine Larson, and in the photo on the right they are identified as Anna and Julia Larson. It is possible that these young girls were simply taking on more Americanized versions of their traditional Norwegian names.
