Totem Pole Tales-Roberts School, Irene Cole & Trails Tales Submitted by Nute Chapman From Onaway Outlook December 21, 2012

CAPTION #1: Irene Cole’s Christmas card to Mildred Might.  It is dated the 24th of December 1908.  It reads as follows:  
To whom shall come these present greetings.  Now therefore be it known that one Irene Cole, being of sound mind, a stout
heart, and a slim purse, have agreed to give bountifully, extravagantly and most willing, and to hereby bestow graciously,
and convey voluntarily in this matter to all whom it is my duty and my pleasure to love, in this glad Christmas time, the
riches of my good will, the fortune of my best wishes, and the wealth of my love, given under my hand and seal at Onaway, 
Michigan the  24th day of December 1908. Irene Cole.  



CAPTION #2: The Robert’s school in 1922, Felix Herron is the teacher.  Some of the students are still living in the Onaway 
Area, but we need help in identifying them.  If you are in this picture or know someone who is please let me know.
 


   The Roberts School was located in North Allis Township (T.35N-R.2E. Sec. 19) on the corner of M-211 and North Allis Highway.  
This school was torn down in 2011.  The Roberts School was sometimes called the 4-Mile School.  Some of the teachers there were 
Irene Cole, Felix Herron, Ned Wheeler, Donald Whitman, Louise Whitman, Alice Young, and Marvel Lefler to name a few.
 

   Some of the students were the Benaways, Cadwells, Hells, Sweets, Whitmans, Wrights, Ellenbergers, Stewarts, Pangburns, 
Strayers, Badgeros, Fergusons, Fales, Smiths, Werners, Hodges and Marshalls.


   In the next few weeks we will share pictures of the Robert’s School students, and bring to our readers the unedited writings 
of Oscar Adelbert Roberts that were compiled by the late Ruth (Roberts) Schmidt in 1987.
  

   Although many articles have been done on Irene Cole, I feel the need to pen a few lines on my own.  Irene specialized in 
country schools.  She taught in the Onaway school system when the school was on Shaw Street, but was much happier when teaching
a country school.  Irene bought 39 acres of land while teaching at Waverly School No. 2.  The school sat on the 40th acre.  
Irene built her home next to the school.  She later sold it to the Clarence Stockwells.   The property is still in the Stockwell 
family today.
 

   When I started my career with the United States Postal Service, my mentor Lester (Bud) Stout told me there were some special 
people on the route that were to be treated as such.  One of these customers was Irene Cole, who lived on Sixth Street where 
Gary Wregglesworth lives today.  I delivered her mail to a slot in the entrance way to her home.  She received many letters, 
especially at Christmas time.  She was a correspondent for the Alpena News at this time.  My Dad and Irene quite often talked 
about Onaway history. 
 

   Irene was a longtime member of the Baptist Church and was still involved when she passed away at the age of 98.


   Will continue with more on the Roberts School next week.


   
-From The Onaway Outlook, December 21, 2012, p. 12.
    

Retyped by J. Anderson.