Ernest Goodell - Teacher in Dundy County

Here is a photo of Wayne Goodell's uncle Ernest who was teaching school at a country school. Wayne says he thinks it was in Dundy County.

They had a Goodell Reunion in Idaho this summer and said Ernest's daughter, who is Wayne's cousin was looking for a copy of this photo.

Lo and behold I came up with it via Ray Heer in California.

-- Calvin Freehling

Comments:

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The 1976 Haigler Book is incorrect about this picture. Ernest Goodell just taught at 67 North. The students listed under the school went to 67 South.
Cal Freehling

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Regarding Cal's comments, does that mean that the children in the picture are not tthe Freehling and Higgins children or that the teacher pictured is not Ernest Goodell?

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My goodness! Thanks for the heads-up, cousin Kent.

This is Mark Higgins, the only surviving grandchild of Merle Higgins. My father, Val, was the only child born to any of the 5 Higgins children: Paul, Curt, Merle, Milton, and Eva. None of the other brothers ever married, and Eva married later in life to "Doc" Lorenzen, the dentist in Benkelman, but they had no children. Parents of the 5 were Milton A. and Mettie C. Higgins. Everyone called the elder Milton "M.A.", and the younger Milton got the nickname "Wacker" or "Whacker" early in life. When he was grown, it was shortened to just "Wack".

I about 99% certain that those are, indeed, all 5 of the Higgins children in that picture. Even at that young age, there was a strong familial resemblance for all five kids that Dad, and then I, inherited.

The boy to the right of the man in the suit (teacher?) is almost certainly my great-uncle, Paul Higgins. Note the crutch under his left arm. Paul lost his left leg, when very young, to "TB of the bone" as it was called then. It wasn't actually tuberculosis, but I don't know what the correct medical term is. He was fitted with a prosthetic leg, but not until after he had grown up.
To the right of Paul is Merle, then Curt (or possibly Curt then Merle), and the boy nearly in the middle (long-sleeve white shirt) is, I think, Milton.

I'm also quite sure that the third child from the far left is Eva. Again, the facial characteristics lead me to believe that. She looks startlingly like my late sister Jill did at that age.

If I had a larger and higher-resolution picture, I could tell for certain.

The date for the picture, "about 1905" would be close. Paul was born in 1895, and would be ten in that picture if the date is right, with Curt at 9, Merle at 8, and Milton at 6. Eva would be only 4 years old, though (born 1901), and I wonder at what age children started school back then. I'm now wondering if that picture is actually from 1906 or possibly from 1907, though?

(NOTE: Merle married Inez Herring, whose sister Ruth is my cousin Kent's mother. We're 1st cousins once removed, actually, since Kent and my Dad are 1st cousins.)

As I said I'm 99% sure of this, but hope someone can provide even more confirmation.

What a pleasant stroll down Memory Lane this has been.

Mark