When I started to school in 1936, Willis and I went to a little one room school for eight grades which sat upon the top of a tall hill located in northwestern Grant Co, OK. It was named Mt. View Dist # 61 for it's hill top location. My dad went to school at the very same location for over eight years, but the school was then called Florence. The Florence school building burned and when they built a new school building, they renamed it Mt. View. Mt View had one great big room that I would estimate to be close to 24 X 40 feet or perhaps larger with two very small rooms that we called cloak rooms (for hanging our coats) An entrance that we kids called the ?cubby hole? was added after I started school. It was built mainly for a wind break for students who came earlier than the teacher. (Not Miss Edith)

School was already in session in the fall of 1936, but after seeing Willis go to school I begged my parents to let me go too. They hesitated at first, because I was only five years old. Willis had problems adjusting to his first year of school, so they felt I should wait another year. After more insistent pleading; mama and daddy finally relented. After clearing that it was alright with Miss Edith Miller, I was welcome to attend first grade at Mt View.

Miss Edith informed the students of the day I was to attend school, so when I arrived at the school yard gate that first day, everyone ran down the hill to welcome me. Somehow, during my almost two mile trek to school, one of my high top brown oxford shoe strings came untied. Miss Edith stooped down to hug me and noticed it. She said ?Let me tie your shoe?. I knew how to tie shoes, but allowed her to tie it anyway. I so enjoyed her attention. The girls all sort of danced around me holding my hands and the boys stood back looking at the ?new baby? that was starting school. Miss Edith took my hand and ushered me up the hill into the school house. I was a bit bewildered at first and wondered if this was what I really wanted to do, but Miss Edith?s motherly attention soon calmed my fears.

Most of the fifteen students were older than I was, except one boy named Billy Thomas. He was in the third grade. His sister, Virginia, was in the eighth grade and mothered me too. I enjoyed all of the attention. I was very shy and sentimental and often sobbed when I became upset. Miss Edith always noticed my silent tears and placed me on her lap to cuddle me until I was OK. I liked this and soon sobbed more often, just to get her cuddles. She cared of all fifteen of us as if we were her own.

Miss Edith always got to school early and had a warm fire going in the big wood/coal heating stove during the cold days. She drove her car from where her parents lived near Vining each morning. She never missed a day of school. She was the kindest lady I have ever met and my all time favorite teacher. I wish there were more teachers like Miss Edith in the school system today.