Totem Pole Tales- Vilburn School Submitted by Nute Chapman From Onaway Outlook March 14, 2014

Caption #1:  THE VILBURN SCHOOL and students in 1925. Listed with the picture are Grace Burdett, Flora Fitch, 
Floyd Fitch, Allard Franklin, Donald Plume, Clarence Crow, teacher George Heron, Lillian Rieger, Edna Vilburn,
Lorence Rieger, Dorothy Russel, Clarence Rieger, Neil Addiss, Louis Rieger, Melvin Campbell, Elna Middaugh, Pearl
Middaugh, Adaline Rieger, Laurabell Middaugh, Henry Bruder, George Crow and Clyde Demerest.  I believe that Adaline
(Rieger) Wiltshire is the only one still living.  Photo from Ron Sorgenfrei.



  The Vilburn School is located in Ocqueoc Township on the southwest corner of Ocqueoc Road and Twin School Road, T35N, R.3E,
sec 32.  It was originally a log school that was Mick Fitch's home.  The replacement school still stands today and is 
a private residence.

  Some of the teachers listed were Bertha Case, Felix Heron, Olive Kerr, Margaret Haskill and Esther Storms.

  Some of the students were Ethel Bigelow; August, Hatti and Push Bruder; George Campbell; Edmond Gilbert; Acie, 
Edgar and Ethel Lampkin; Arthur Luft; Rose Mason; Rose, Bob and Johnny Middaugh; Henry Rose; May Vilburn; and Mamie
and Rollin Windsor.

  An eighth grade boy always built the fire in the winter months.  They had an outside toilet and had to carry their 
drinking water in a pail.  The older children always helped with the younger children.

  The children played games such as run sheep run, anti-over, fox and geese, prisoners' base, softball, tag and 
dodgeball.


From the Onaway Outlook, March 14, 2014, page 3. 


Retyped by J. Anderson