This week we explore the theme of education. I approached this by looking at both my pedigree and Dale’s and searching backwards to find the first ancestor who advanced beyond high school.
This post is inspired by the “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks” challenge.
The prize goes to my grandmother, Clarinda Hanson Rudeen. From my 1997 family history book:
After graduating from high school in 1919, Clarinda clerked for her father in the general store. In 1922, she attended the University of Nebraska for a time, obtaining her teacher’s certification.
I’ve tried to find documentary evidence of this – not that I don’t believe it, but it would be fun to see her certification or diploma. I believe that the County (in this case, Saunders County, Nebraska) issued teaching certificates and that applicants had to show a minimum of six college hours to qualify. Surely there are records about that somewhere! Some casual online searching didn’t turn up anything.
Upon receiving her certification, I believe she taught school for about a year in Ceresco sometime around 1923-1924.
Here’s a photo of the Ceresco school from this era (from Clarinda’s photo album). I have countless ancestors and relatives who attended school here.
My teaching certificate came from the state of Nebraska through Nebraska Wesleyan in 1959. Maybe try the state or UNL.