The
Among the Hemlocks and the
Pines,
Stood the “Old Wakefield school”,
Were taught by the rule.
On the “First Day” we
gathered
In our ginghams and our
jeans,
From the north end the
“Klemmers”,
“The Ferris’” and the
“Deans”.
From the south came Grace
and Harry,
Harold, Mable, and Lucy
Mayes,
We skipped along barefooted
In those old school days.
Farther south was George
and Mable
With their tin dinner pail,
Later on Clarence and Cosie
Always there, without fail.
Down the track was Frank and Annie
They came with the
“Grassmere Gang”,
And they hurried to get on
there
Before the old bell rang.
Robinson’s and Lackenby's,
Tim, Thomas and little
Manuel Tate,
He always had the habit
Of coming just too late.
But, it’s Will and Ann
McGillivray,
If we tell what memory
bids,
Are the ones we loved the
best
Of those “Grassmere Kids”.
“The Kreutzingers” came
later,
Will chose
Ella for his wife,
And they have been happy
together
All their married life.
Then there were the
“Hazzards”,
Edith and Annie too.
But all the tricks and
mischief
Was blamed on Will and
Rance.
If there ever was a time
When school days were a
lark,
It was the year we spent
With “John G. Clark”.
The place where I love to
linger
As I go down memory’s Lane,
Is the fun we used to have
At the “Old Ball Game”.
Grace was our” Tommy
Bridges”,
Fred wore the catcher’s
shield,
And to us it was as
precious
As “
Grace
This was written by Grace Dean, date unknown. She was a friend of Annie (McGillivray) Shuart’s. I received this from my grandmother, Arzell (Shuart) Mills about 1990. She received it from her mother, Annie (McGillivray) Shuart.
The old Wakefeild school
was a log cabin built near the corner of Pinnebog road and M-142 in Colfax
Twp.,
In the seventh stanza it mentions Will and Ann
McGillivray. These are the son and daughter of Edwin Alexander McGillivray and
Sarah Elizabeth Mitchell. Anna married James Edward Shuart. William Harris
married Ella Kreutziger.
It also mentions the “Grassmere Gang” This was a
group of children that lived in The town of
Scott
Mills