Martha Goes to School

Hello Friends,

I’m not sure where or when this article appeared in the news but if we take a guess it was a newspaper in Muskegon Heights Michigan.  Martha Shafer was 46 years old when the article was written (per the text) so it must have been about 1928. The article is very discolored so I’ll transcribe it for our purposes here.

MOTHER OF THREE IS JUNIOR IN MUSKEGON HEIGHTS HIGH

Mrs. Martha Shafer Plans to Finish Course and Then Matriculate at Some College

Availing herself of the opportunities she missed in youth, Mrs. Martha Shafer  1909 Glendale Avenue, 46 years old, has enrolled as a Junior in Muskegon Heights High School and expects to be graduated from the institution a year from next spring after which she plans to matriculate at some college.

Housekeeper and cook for a family of five, Mrs. Shafer’s day is occupied from 4 o’clock every morning until late at night either in domestic duries, studying or reciting.

Mrs. Shafer is a mother of three children, all of whom are 21 years old or more.  Tables turned, they are helping her to obtain an education.

It was in the spring of 1925 that Mrs. Shafer received a diploma from the nurses department of Pasadena College, Pasadena, California.  The same night, her only daughter who is now 25 years old and resides in the west, was graduated from the same department.

In connection with her special training in nursing Mrs. Shafer was able to carry some academic subjects  This imbued her with a hope that some day she might be graduated from high school and possibly from college.

This fall she announced her intentions to a small group of friends.  Most of them ridiculed the idea or attempted to discourage her in her plans.  However, largely through the encouragement received from C.F. Bolt, Principal of Muskegon Heights High School and Dr. William S Chapin, city health physician, Mrs. Shafer entered school.  And she is happy with her decision.

Mrs. Shafer is classified as a special Junior.  Her subjects are Algebra, Latin, English and History.  She likes English best.

After completing her high school work, the Muskegon woman hopes to enter some college where she may take special work which will fit her as a public health children’s nurse.  She has had some experience in this work.  Last summer she had charge of the infant welfare clinic at Muskegon Heights.

Mrs. Shafer says that one source of embarrassment in her most recent quest of an education has arisen from the fact that a year ago last summer she was a nurse at the Paul Rader conference grounds where she became well acquainted with a number of Heights high school students who were working there in various capacities.

“You see it was different when I entered school at Pasadena” she said.  That was among strangers.  When I entered school here I met again boys and girls whom I had worked with at Lake Harbor.”

“But everyone especially Mr Bolt and the teachers have been very kind to me” the ambitious little woman said.

The Glendale avenue resident walks seven or eight blocks to school each morning, arriving at 8 o’clock.  Then for four hours straight, she recites, returning home shortly after 12:00  She has only herself to feed at noon, her husband and two sons carry lunches which she packs the night before  She tries to retire early because she arises at 4 o’clock to study, which she calls the best hour of the day.

Mrs. Shafer’s advice to youth is to obtain an education.  “It seems pitiful to think of children dropping out of school at 16 or 17 years of age.  There is so little for them to do and so little they can earn at that age.”

And then she recalled her own disappointing experience in youth. “When our family moved to a small village near Charlevoix I had to quit high school as there was no high school in this town.  I had just finished the tenth grade” she said.

Members of her own immediate family are encouraging her in her work.  “My son helps me with some of  my studies” she said.  School authorities say Mrs. Shafer is a good student.

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SOURCE:  News article, newspaper and date unknown, clipping found in the scrapbook of Susan Leach Sherman, Mother of Martha Shafer.

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Susan J. Edminster, Granite Falls Washington, All Rights Reserved

Article is the sole property of Susan J. Edminster