Descendants of Ramona's first teacher hold reunion
By JESSICA GILBERT
Ramona correspondent
(785) 965-2621
Rap! Rap! Attention, class. Get in your seats, quiet down. This week's history lesson focuses on the first teacher in Ramona, Kansas. Anybody know his name?
If you attended the Ramona Centennial back in 1987 or thoroughly studied your Centennial "textbook," prepared by Dale Sondergard, you might know this answer. Or maybe, if you've lived a very long time in this area, you know the answer because you've lived it!
The first teacher in Ramona was Joseph Burkholder Shields — most often referred to as J.B. Shields.
He was so beloved in the community that when Ramona incorporated and deliberated over a name, they resolved to name the town Shields. But alas, there was another town on the railroad line already named Shields, so town folks went in search of another name and Ramona was selected.
You may be wondering why this history lesson is raised now — it's because the descendants of J.B. Shields and his wife Clara Fengel Shields gathered for a reunion Saturday at the Lutheran parish hall in Ramona.
"It's our first official reunion," said Virginia Shields (her husband Fred is a grandson of J.B. and Clara Shields). Folks came from California, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, and of course Kansas. Julia Kleffman even came from Germany for the event. "My mother was related to Clara Fengel Shields," explained Julia.
The 40+ folks who attended the reunion were experiencing a back-to-back reunion, one for the Shields side of the family on Saturday, and the next day another reunion for the Fengel family.
"Most of us here will be going tomorrow to Wichita for the Fengel family reunion," said one of the guests who agreed to talk to me between bites of chicken.
The highlight of the Wichita reunion will be seeing the last living child of J.B. and Clara Shields — Marie Shields, who celebrated her 99th birthday in April.
Carol Shields Schoof (granddaughter of J.B. and Clara) from Texas, along with her husband Jim, prepared an in-depth analysis of J.B.'s travels in and about Kansas. This, along with photographs and copies of letters, were presented to the family — I was lucky to receive a copy too, for our Dirt Gambler's Museum. (Now class, please note this generosity and attempt to emulate it! We love receiving family history info.)
About a month ago, Virginia Shields (Mrs. Fred Shields) of Lincolnville, presented a packet of historical "goodies" to Pat and me and announced that we could keep them! I was delighted and immediately began reading the autobiography of Joseph Shields and matching names with pictures.
J.B. Shields was born in 1862 and died in 1944. He had a fascinating life. His autobiography begins, "On March 15, 1881, we said goodbye to our father and mother, brother, sister, and a host of friends at Shippensburg, County, Pennsylvania. On March 18 we landed in Fredonia, Wilson County, Kansas."
Thus begins an odyssey that eventually leads Mr. Shields to the Ramona-Lost Springs area. J.B. mentions that he didn't like Wilson County and since he knew folks in Dickinson County he decided to head that direction. "We wrote to A.M. Engle, then of Detroit, as to a school for the next winter," writes J.B., "He wrote back to come on and we will get you a school."
With another young adventurer, J.B. Shields headed out on horseback to Detroit. There he taught school for seven months, "for thirty-three and a third dollars a month, and in the spring drew a check for $200."
With school out, J.B. and his friend heard there might be railroad work between Leavenworth and Topeka and they might be paying as much as $2.50 per day for man and team. "We bought a team for $175, harness and doubletrees for $15," writes J.B., "and with two other men who had teams, we started for Leavenworth."
But railroad work proved to be less than satisfying for J.B. and his friends. As they worked their way back to Council Grove, then Woodbine, J.B. eventually comes to rest near Lost Springs. It is here that he married Clara Fengel and established his home.
In 1886-87 he taught at a country school just west of Ramona (on the corner opposite Warren Fike's farm.) The story is told that J.B. walked the distance twice a day from his home near Lost Springs, to the Ramona country school.
Eventually the Shields come to be a part of the fabric of Ramona life. If you research the bi-weekly newspaper of Ramona High School, "The Pride of RRHS" in the late 1920s and early '30s, there are fragments of information that tell what happened in the lives of the Shields. In the Dec. 2, 1931, issue there's a lengthy column dedicated to the death of Mrs. Clara Shields.
"The floral remembrances at the funeral were unusually numerous," says the newsletter. "And in spite of rough roads and deep, sticky mud, there was a large crowd both at the home and at the church. People came by almost every means of transportation — wagons, carriages, buggies, and saddle horses. Only an ox team was missing, else the spectacle would have been a perfect reminder of the pioneer days so well known and so well-lived by Mrs. Shields."
When I first laid eyes on Mrs. Clara Shields' photograph I was struck by one thing — the strength of genetics! For as I looked into Clara's eyes, a woman I'd never seen in my life, I suddenly saw another face and pair of eyes that I know very well — Allison Shields, who would be Clara's great-great-granddaughter (if I'm calculating right).
Allison was in Pat's 4th grade art class in Centre Elementary School last year. I have come to know Allison well over the past two years and in her childish face I clearly saw a glimpse of Clara.
Allison was among the Shields relatives at Saturday's reunion in Ramona. I wondered if she saw herself in her great-great-grandmother's eyes.
On Saturday afternoon, after eating and visiting, the Shields family trekked to Lewis Cemetery just southwest of town, to plant mums on their ancestors' graves. Resting there are J.B. and Clara Shields and three of their sons, Martin and his wife Augusta, Simon and his wife Pearl, and Omer and Dorothy.
There's jubilation in the Rick Hanschu family as Rick and Barbie became grandparents — finally! — on May 29. It seemed I was continually asking Rick when I saw him in the past couple of weeks of May, if he was a grandpa yet and he continually replied, "Not yet."
But eventually we all knew that Danelle would deliver this wonderful surprise and alas it happened several days after the predicted arrival. Danelle Hanschu Leiker and her husband Mark are the very proud parents of a precious baby girl, who they named Shaylee Faith Leiker.
"So have you been to Nebraska to see your first grandchild?" I asked Rick this week. "A couple of times!" he said.
There is some news that I've already reported on, but then weeks later I hear another juicy or fun detail to the story, and I'm compelled to add a "P.S." Such is the case with Reign and Marlene Anduss's Memorial Week trip to Connecticut for their granddaughter's graduation from college. I stopped by their house the other day to check on their plans to have the restaurant open on the 4th of July and we got to talking about their recent trip. I discovered that as a gift to their family they paid the way for 14 family members to fly or drive to their granddaughter's graduation celebration. "We're spending their inheritance with them," said Marlene with a grin.
And when it came time to say good-bye to their granddaughter, Reign asked her what she wanted for a graduation present. "I'd like a trip home," she replied. And with that, Reign handed her several $100 bills to pay for her ticket home. It was obvious just watching Reign's face as he told the story, that he got such delight out of granting a granddaughter's wish. What's Reign's philosophy? "You can't take it with you!" he said.
And while we're talking about celebrating life — here's an invitation to support one of Ramona's own — Lisa Stika Hanschu — in the "Walk for Life" this coming Friday night at Tripp Field in Herington.
"It's a relay that lasts all night long," explained Lisa, who is on a relay team. "There's music, food, contests, awards, and prizes and at the same time we're honoring the spirits of those of us who battled cancer or who have lost the fight," said Lisa.
This event is sponsored by the American Cancer Society and the mission is to eliminate cancer by preventing it or diminishing suffering through research, education, advocacy, and service.
"I've personally benefited from this research," said Lisa, who thankfully has been in remission for several months. She discovered she had cancer over a year ago.
If you'd like to support this valiant event, you can donate $10, which will light a luminary around Tripp Field where the relay teams will be walking. It can be in memory of a loved one or in honor of someone. The luminaria ceremony will be at 10 p.m. Friday. I wanted to be there to cheer for Lisa, but I'll be in the midst of a Schubert family reunion that evening, so I'm going hip hip hoorah, right now!
It was a regular convention around Lowell and Marge Hanschu's home in Ramona this last week as all their children arrived at one time or another. When I asked Marge about their comings and goings, it sounded like the Wichita airport!
Son Andy and his wife Anita from South Carolina came on Tuesday and left on Thursday. Daughter Martha and her son Brandon from Missouri came Tuesday and left Wednesday. Daughter Suzie from Paola, was here for Wednesday, and son Dan and his wife Beth came Monday and left Sunday.
But that's not all — Marge's sister Elaine and husband Ken Olson came from Topeka Wednesday to see the kids. "I cooked a Chinese dinner for 11," said Marge. And when she repeated the menu I said, "You should open for business!" And she replied, "That's exactly what my daughter-in-law said."
The result of all this "hoohaw" is a lovely deck on the north side of Lowell and Marge's home.
Marge's son Andy heard that I wrote a weekly newspaper column. He was poised and ready for an interview. I planned to do one. And then my schedule got loaded with back-to-back out-of-town trips and I never got to even get a quote from Andy, who headed the construction team.
So you'll have to accept the word of Marge who reports she's thrilled with the new deck. "The kids worked so hard, got so much done. There's a lot of finish work on a project like this. I am so pleased with our children. They're wonderful. I thank God every day I have all four of them," said Marge. (I just love interviewing Marge about her children — she always has such positive things to say.)
And speaking of special kids, Naomi Fike's children have been in Ramona almost every weekend to see Naomi or come get her for a trek to their homes. This last weekend, Joe and Janet called and suggested Naomi come to Lawrence for the weekend. Who could resist a weekend with a world-class cook like Janet. (When she came into town to get Naomi she left a love gift on our table — yummy cherry coffeecake and other goodies.)
So Naomi takes off for the weekend and it was so sudden she didn't let her best friend Dorothy Broce know she was leaving. On Saturday I get this phone call from Paula Fike. "Do you know anything about Naomi? Dorothy has been trying to call her and there's no answer."
I told Paula that Naomi was in Lawrence so Dorothy could be at rest. "Dorothy told me that if Paula hadn't known where I was, she was going to call the sheriff, she was so concerned," said Naomi with a chuckle. "I guess I'd better not leave until I tell somebody," she concluded.
Last week I noticed Arizona license plates in Naomi's driveway. That always makes me curious. The out-of-towners were Linda and Bob Perry. "Linda is Kenneth's niece," explained Naomi. "Linda is Ida's daughter and Ida was Kenneth's sister. They stopped to see me and also Warren and Paula," said Naomi.
The strangest things perk people's curiosity in a little town. For me, all it takes is an out-of-state license plate. For others, it's just something unusual happening. Collin Bailey has had so many folks curious about his unusual lawn mowing practices at his home on 4th and D, that he issued a "press release" about it.
"Dear Friends and fellow Citizens of the City of Ramona: The past few weeks many have asked me why I cut only half of my lawn leaving the other half tall. Well, I guess an explanation is in due order. In fact, it's been suggested I make a sign stating my intent.
Being raised by a college biologist who taught at Emporia State, Kansas State University, and Tabor College in Hillsboro, I inherited some of my mother's enjoyment of nature's work. My lawn is a research project into self-seeding, to give my lawn a lusher and thicker ground cover. I had a lot of open weed infested areas that are being reseeded by nature's way, which is a more environmentally friendly way than with commercial sprays and fertilizers.
I do wish to console you that when my project is over, I will have a nicer, greener, and weed-free yard. My seed is about to be harvested, so I will keep you informed on how my new environmentally-friendly lawn project has progressed. Until then, enjoy nature's way of rebirth and growth." Signed, Collin Bailey.
And that's the news from Ramona where a traffic jam can be caused by somebody mowing their lawn in an unusual way — you don't even need two parked cars or a dog in the road.
