Grandma remembers times when she and her sister wanted to go to basket ball games and would have to save for every penny they could earn or find. Sometimes when they were short one, the people at the games would still let them in. Another time my grandma remembers is when she gathered eggs, and for every dozen that she gathered she got one egg herself. She would save the eggs she would earn then sell them on Saturday nights. Finally when she saved enough money she bought herself a leather jacket.
Both my grandma and her sister graduated from high school and went to two years at Drake University (that was all it took to get teaching degrees for elementary grades). "We had no luxuries but food, clothing, shelter, and love, what more could we want." Then they were out on their own, and did what they had to do to survive.
"Times have changed." She was born in 1922 and literally grew up in the depression (which is considered to have lasted until 1941, beginning of World War II, December 1941). [Insert 2004: Grandma's birth year is ironically the same year as the first graduating class of the new High School building, constructed during 1921.]
June 1, 1939 Band Concerts Wednesday Evenings. Businessmen of Collins have decided to sponsor weekly concerts by the High School band each Wednesday evening this summer.
August 24, 1939 The Collins Consolidated school will open on Sept. 4. As in previous years we will have registration earlier. High school and Junior high registration will be on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. High school students, particularly juniors and seniors, are urged to come early to register in order to receive the greatest advantages in your time schedule. An additional high school subject for girls will be offered this year, namely third year Homemaking. This will be an elective and will be open to those who desire to continue with this training. Since we feel that farm shop can best be taken by older students, it will not be offered again this year but will appear again on the schedule next year as an elective for junior and senior boys. Junior high shop and home arts will be discontinued this year. The teachers are as follows: G. E. Holmes, Superintendent; Melvina Swanson - Principal and Mathematics; Wilbur S. Perkins - Vocational Agriculture; Ruth Harrington - Vocational Homemaking; Ellen Holmes - High School English; R. Linwood Gowen - High School Social Science and Coaching; Hyla Oppedal - Music; Clara Signs - Junior High; Marjorie Byal - Elementary Principal; Adlyn Deere - Elementary English; Juanita Hyde - Elementary Geography; Jeanette Jurgens - Elementary History; Janyce Beauchamp - Second Grade; Jeanette Swenson - First Grade; Fred Renfeldt has been chose as janitor. Bus drivers are: Byron Keagle, Vern Halterman, Carl Day, Wayne Signs, Royal Corey, and Russell Schauper. [Insert 2004: Note the rotation of teaching by subject specialty in Grades 3-6.]