Through The Lens Hetland, SD Generations of the lost schoolhouse. As a child I always had a fascination with old buildings that has followed me through to adulthood, especially school houses. I would pester my mom to tell me what it was like when she was a kid going to school. In her time, it was the traditional one room school house with one teacher, teaching grades kindergarten through eighth all together. They had electricity and a gas stove in the front of the room for heat. No running water, those families with the best drinking water would bring five-gallon cream cans filled each week to have available for the teacher and the kids. No running water also meant no indoor bathrooms, so they had out houses. The desks were wooden and lined up with usually the younger children up front and the older ones in the back for the seating arrangement. Most of the time she walked to school and there was no cutting through fields to save time as most of the fields held cattle and you were likely to get charged by one of them. They did have a swing set, merry-go-round and wooden teeter-totter, but mom would say they needed to be careful not to get a sliver in their vBy Angella and Ryan Byykkonen bottom using that. They started their day saying the pledge of allegiance vHETLAND continued on page 20 We’ve got you covered We are a team of EXPERTS. 10 Plus Years Combined Experience A new roof can reduce your energy costs and protect your MOST valuable possessions. • Roofing • Siding • Gutters • Repairs and more! 605-857-1472 Locally owned & operated in yankton HISVOICEvMARCH/APRIL 2018v19