Bertha Carson at 100: Memories of a One-Room Schoolhouse
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Bertha (Kellerman) Carson of Pinckneyville will celebrate her 100th birthday on Saturday, March 5 with an open house at First Baptist Church in Pinckneyville from 1 to 3 p.m.
Birthday cards may be sent to:
Bertha Carson
5679 State Route 154
Pinckneyville, IL 62274
Mrs. Carson began her teaching career in one-room, rural schools in the Pinckneyville area then taught second grade at Dist. 50 for 22 years, retiring in 1972.
Before the move to Dist. 50 she taught at Nation, Kimzey, Beaucoup, Bauersachs, Duncan and Eicholz schools- about two years at each.
At the one-room schools, the day began with getting water from the well. In cold weather, she had to get there early to bring in wood and start a fire to warm the building.
Students arrived at about 8:30 a.m., but stayed until 4 p.m.
"I boarded at a home close to the school and walked to work," Mrs. Carson said- except for the year she boarded in town and took the family car to work. Her parents drove the buggy or wagon while she had the car.
It was a Ford touring car with no windows. There were side curtains for when it rained.
Mrs. Carson attended a one-room school herself- Nation. Her family lived just half a mile from the school and she walked there. The old Nation school is now a private home. It is located just behind the Oak Grove Cemetery.
Mrs. Carson attended Oak Grove Baptist Church and played piano there. She began attending First Baptist Church in Pinckneyville after she married. After graduating from Pinckneyville Community High School in 1930, she went to SIU.
She took one year of classes then began teaching with a special certificate. She took evening and night classes over the next 20-plus years, eventually earning a Bachelor's Degree.
Mrs. Carson married Edgar Carson in 1943 and did not work for the next seven years. Once her step-daughter married and left home, Mrs. Carson went back to work at Dist. 50.
Things were very different at the Grade School. It was nice having children all in one age group.
At the one-room schools, each lesson lasted about 15 minutes. The classes were divided by age and came to the front row for their lesson then studied while lessons were given to other age groups.
The subject matter wasn't any different- students at the one-room schools and the Grade School all learned reading, math, grammar, health, geography and history.
"There wasn't much science," Mrs. Carson said. She said she wasn't sure if she had a favorite subject to teach, but was pretty sure math, particularly algebra and geometry, were her least favorite subjects.
Mrs. Carson's work as a teacher inspired her granddaughter, Cindy (Foster) Barge, to pursue a teaching career, as well. Barge attended school in Du Quoin, but was able to sit in on the second grade class at Pinckneyville Grade School on days when Du Quoin was not in session. Those early days in class and helping to grade papers were a true inspiration.
Barge taught Language Arts in District 50 for 36 years, retiring in 2008. She started teaching the year her grandmother retired. "I came here every Friday for lunch while I was teaching," Barge said. "She always had a good home-cooked meal for me."