Reflections Upon a Blessed and Exciting Life – No.7: Primary School: The Fourth “R”: Religion

In this series of blogs on my elementary school I have called the fourth “R” to be religion. I am sure that the founders of my elementary school, namely Zion Lutheran School, Walburg, Texas would insist that R for Religion should be the first R. The primary purpose of the school included teaching the Christian faith to the children of congregation members (and only to them). Usually a separately listed goal was “to prepare children for the ritual of confirmation.” This was such an important aspect of congregational life that I recall a discussion as to whether parents who chose to not send their children to Zion should actually be excommunicated from the church as they were deemed to be neglecting the best resource for learning to grow as Christians.

So, obviously, religion was the critical component of our curriculum. We had a formal class on religion every school day, each class lasting from 30 minutes to an hour. At the heart of our lesson was learning Bible stories (also called Bible History.) We learned the narratives well. The teacher told the story. We were questioned about the story. We students told the stories to the class or we asked the class questions on the story – or we volunteered to stand in front and have our fellow students ask us questions about the story. We had large colored pictures of the Biblical events posted on the wall. They all came from Concordia Publishing House and I think were the only pictures in our classrooms. We had the stories in printed form also (in both English and German). I learned those stories and loved them and to this day am grateful for the experience.

The second aspect of our religious instruction was learning Dr. Martin Luther’s Catechism and an extended version of this with appropriate questions, answers and Biblical references. I memorized the catechism first in German, then in English (and much later in Cantonese). My recollection is that the primary teaching method was “question and answer” and my grades 4-8 teacher was an absolute master at that.

The third aspect of our formal religion classes was music. We learned to sing hymns. By the time I was in the sixth grade we were singing them in three-part harmony. One strong memory: When I was in about the fifth grade a schoolmate burned to death. She had gotten up before her parents arose, decided she would surprise them by preparing fried bacon and eggs for breakfast. Unfortunately the kerosene stove exploded costing her her life. We sang at her funeral, “I am Jesus Little Lamb”. We sang it in German and my entire being recalls the moment.

When we reached the 7^th grade we were excused for the first hour of the day to go to ‘confirmation class” taught by the pastor. My reflection: “Total disaster!”

It is now some 73 years since I was taught that fourth R and for much of it I am forever grateful. I learned, among many other things at least an important life lessons 1) God is for me, not against me, God forgives me, accepts me, loves me. 2) The Christian life is a life of grateful responses, daring fullness, filled with service to neighbors around the world. 3) The power of prayer: God hears and responds. 4) Eternity is a mystery, but wonderful. 5) My teacher continues to be a model of what it means to be a Christian.

There were also some significant weaknesses and failures in my elementary school religious training. Probably the most serious is what I call “religious arrogance”. We were taught the official teaching of the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod that it was the only body of Christians who believed and taught “the Word of God in all its truth and purity”. We had it like a clear glass of water. Others had part of it, but their glasses of water were filled with lots of dirt. We were never to worship or pray with or even play softball against other Christians, like Roman Catholics, Baptists, Episcopalians or even Lutherans who were not Missouri Synod. If a graduate of our school married a spouse of another Lutheran denomination and that spouse joined our congregation we called him/her an “adult convert”.

A second failing in my religious upbringing related to the above was the importance of the “proof-text” manner of teaching. We were taught a certain piece of doctrine which was stated as truth and then there was a small verse from Scripture to prove this teaching. I now know that it is probably true that one can find a particular “proof text” in Scripture for anything. Sometimes this proof-texting was taken out of context and the true teaching was distorted. 

The third failure was in the area of skills and practices for personal reflection. I went to Lutheran schools and college for 16 years and not once was I asked to “just observe a few moments of silence”. Not once was I taught how to meditate. Not once was I given any real guidance on what it means to “be still and know that I am God.”

But I must end this blog on a positive note. Certainly the grounding of my faith in Zion Lutheran School has given me the faith, strength, courage and hope to live a wonderful life following the One who said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Reflections Upon a Blessed and Exciting Life - No 6: The First of the Four R’s: Reading and Riting

Everybody learned to read at Zion Lutheran School. There was really only one method of teaching reading and that was phonics. We used the same Bobbs Merrill Primer million of others did after its first printing in 1929. We both read and memorized the immortal first pages about The Gingerbread Boy. “I am the gingerbread boy, I am, I am. I can run from you, I can, I can.” From that primer we went directly to the phonics charts. “can, man, pan” and “fast, last,, past”. It worked.

Unfortunately there was no library at school or at home. It was the time of The Great Depression and nobody had money for books. I never owned a “child’s book”. I had no public library card. When I was in about the 6^th grade the school suddenly received a treasure: a collection of some 60 books of the classics. Each story was condensed to about 30 pages. I devoured them all, finishing them within 2 weeks.

In addition to reading English we learned to read German, using the German alphabet and style. We began with a book called, “Die Fiebel”; then “Erste Lesebuch” and after that “Zweite Lesebuch”. This was taught from grade one through grade 8.

As I reflect upon my reading instruction I wonder where and how I developed my life long love of reading. Maybe it was the deprivation in the early years or maybe it was my father who was my grades 4-8 teacher and who would read to us with a great animation. Something stirred up within me a passion for reading which remains very strong to this day.

“Riting (writing), the second R had two points of stress: correct grammar and good penmanship. Proper grammar was drilled into us. By the 6^th grade we spent hour after hour diagramming sentences. In retrospect I am very grateful for this experience. We learned all about subject, predicate, object, prepositional phrases, major and sub-ordinate classes, and the parts of speech – carefully noting transitive and intransitive verbs etc. etc. I loved it. I still remember in the 8^th grade being challenged to diagram one of the longest sentences Martin Luther ever wrote (at least it came out as only one sentence in English.) Imagine diagramming this sentence. “I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sin, from death and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.” Just imagine your teacher saying to you, “Melvin, I want you to diagram that one sentence – do it on the blackboard.”

Handwriting was taught as a separate subject and given a specific grade on each report card. And I never made an “A” in that subject. I remember my teacher using something called “The Palmer Method” which was supposed to involve one’s entire arm and not just one’s fingers. I failed miserably.

Regretfully my elementary schooling did not stress actually writing reports, essays or anything creative. When I now see what my grandchildren are doing in elementary school writing assignments I am regretful at my never receiving that kind of inspiration. Yet I am grateful that at least my grammar is usually correct.

Reflections Upon a Blessed and Exciting Life - No 5: Elementary School Joys

My elementary education was in the wonderful two-room Zion Lutheran School in Walburg, Texas. Maybe it’s because one remembers pleasant times and blots out the bad, but my recollections are all happy and joyful.

I eagerly anticipated school. My teacher “Teacher Bleeke” was a family friend. My dad was principal. My two elder sisters and some 10 cousins were schoolmates. All the other pupils were from the same Lutheran Church-German community. I had a strong self esteem. I was eager to learn.

We lived almost next to the school in a “teacherage”. This is like a “parsonage” except it was for teachers. It took just five minutes to get to school in the morning. I had “dinner” at home every day at noon.

Recess was always a highlight. Softball was the recess activity of choice. We always chose teams and the competition was friendly but fierce. Morning and afternoon recess times were often extended and the lunch hour was always an hour. By the time I was in the fifth grade we played softball games against public neighboring schools (but we were not allowed to play the Catholic school team only 4 miles away. We were German Lutherans. They were Czech Catholics and in those days we stayed apart.

The school usually provided one soft ball and one bat. The ball was supposed to last for the whole year so it was often restuffed, repacked, and restitched. Once I was the team hero because I got us a brand new softball. I scoured the congregation and amassed enough Post Toasties cereal box tops to get a free softball. I still remember the first day I passed it around to all my teammates. It was for us our one and only opportunity to feel a perfectly new softball.

It was also while I was at Zion that we got the first ever set of swings for the school. When we weren’t playing softball we rode the swings or played marbles (playing “for keeps” was forbidden and all “won” marbles needed to be returned at the end of the day.) Other games included Andy Over, Red Rover, and a little basketball. Strange as it now seems for one growing up in Texas, I do not recall us playing football though every Saturday had me listening to the Texas Longhorn games on the radio.

The school building and classrooms were simple. The toilets were plain old ‘outhouses”. When it was cold the older boys stoked the stove in the center of the classroom with coal from the coal shed. We boys also took turns pulling up fresh water from the well and putting it into central outdoor containers. We were supposed to bring our own drinking cups but most of us forgot them so we all shared a common cup.

There was no school bus. Those who lived within 3 miles walked. Some rode horses or came in horse drawn “buggies”. Others were brought by car, usually a Ford Model A or Model T.

A major fun day was the school picnic held near the end of the school term. It began the night before when “the men” spent the night making bar-b-que on the immense outdoor pit. The 400 pounds of wonderful meat, which was slowly bar-b-qued for 12 or more hours, was sold for the dinner. There was a concession stand and my memory is that I received an incredible large amount of money to spend, 2 cents. That was enough for 5 ice cream cones or 1 bottle of pop, 1 package of gum, 1 candy bar, 1 ice cream cone and 1 lemonade. It took a week to plan my budget!

At the picnic the church brass band (which my father directed) played from their specially designed bandstand. In election years political candidates were invited to shake hands and make short speeches. I always remember the one question all adults asked of the candidates, “What is your position on child labor laws?” The rumor was that congress was about to pass strict “Child Labor Laws”, one component of which would forbid farmer parents from having their children pick cotton or even milk cows twice a day. Everyone at the picnic was anti child labor laws.

Of course school was more than fun and games - and I’ll get to that in my next blog - but the point here is “I loved school – every day!”

Reflections Upon a Blessed and Exciting Life - No 4:Preschool

Some people, including son David, have an incredible ability to recall events of their early life – even prior to the age of 6 years. I have very few memories of my life prior to grade one.

Of course, I didn’t go to preschool (That was unthinkable in those days) and I doubt if there was even a single kindergarten in the Lutheran School system then even though it had some 2000 elementary schools.

I do remember our family growing. Seems like a new baby came every two years. I was born in December 1927 the third child with 2 older sisters, Erna, born in 1924 and Leona in 1926. Doris arrived in Feb. 1930, Mimi in March 1932, Harold in 1934 and Ethel in 1935. Mom must have had a couple of miscarriages for John and Darline were not born until 1942 and 1943. I have no memory of awaiting a new birth. The word “pregnancy” was never mentioned in mixed company.

Whenever it was time for the arrival of another sibling I was taken to Aunt Mattie Kurio’s to spend the night. (I wonder how old I was before I caught on that there would be a new sibling by the time I went back home.)

Each of us were loved and provided for by our parents. Mom just kept on breast feedomg, cooking, sewing, canning, cleaning and caring for the sick ones. Every night we had family prayers complete with Bible readings and a hymn.

Sunday (and I do mean every Sunday) found us all in church for which, to my constant dread, I was obligated to wear shoes. The rest of the time for 10 months of every year we were all barefooted.

Mentioning church helps me recall 2 embarrassments. It was the custom at Zion Lutheran Church for young children to sit together up front. (in pews arranged at right angles to the rest of the congregation). One Sunday I acted inappropriately. Mom left the two little ones sitting with her, marched to the front of the sanctuary and gathered me under her left arm to get me out of church – fast. Unfortunately one of my legs dangled somewhat freely and as she carried me out that foot hit the wainscot wall on the side of the church. So – the rat-a-tat-tat of my shoe against the wall followed us all the way out of church. By this time Mom was so upset that she waited no longer and gave me my well-deserved spanking just outside the church door. The sound of her slaps and my screams filled the sanctuary.

My dad, who was school principal and church organist, also served as church janitor and his duties included posting the hymn numbers on the hymn number boards on either side of the front altar. Once when I was about four I asked him the names of some of the hymns. I immediately recognized one (in German, of course, because all of our services then were in German). The next Sunday I proudly announced to a friend, “I can read the hymns! I opened the hymnal to the appropriate number and began acting as though I was reading; but my faking was exposed because I was looking at hymn 356 but was “reading” the words of hymn 282. My somewhat older friend, who could read, called my bluff!

One of my special preschool thrills was when I was asked to be ring bearer at a wedding. I would get some new clothes and lots of attention. Sometimes I carried the ring lightly, stitched to a pillow. Once it was inside a big white blossom. I remember being asked to kiss the little flower girl but I steadfastly refused to do so.

Early on I learned a skill that serves me to this day. Our whole family was often invited to people’s homes for birthdays, holidays, weddings, etc. The women and men were, of course, separated. After dinner the women conversed. The men played cards, especially a game called “Scott”. As the evening progressed and I got more and more sleepy, I learned to find the bedroom where all hats and coats of guests were laid. I shoved them aside, made myself a bit of space and slept peacefully. And to this day I can fall asleep in my chair, on a plane, during dull lectures or while watching Jeopardy or the San Diego Padres.

Reflections Upon a Blessed and Exciting Life - No 3:Grandfathers

I never met my maternal grandfather Doering. As he was born in 1885 and died in 1946, eleven years before I was born. He was born in Walburg, Germany, lived through the deaths of 4 younger sisters who died at the ages of 2, 3, 11 and 18. He came to America and settled in central Texas.

Soon after arriving he suffered a serious sunstroke and gave up farming. He quickly utilized his considerable entrepreneurial skills and in succession opened the Henry Doering Mercantile, the Walburg Post Office and the Walburg Bank. He apparently passed on his business skills to all his children who were successful in the grocery, banking, hotel, insurance, cotton ginning and farming businesses.

He was known as an intelligent, humble, devout Christian citizen. When he opened the post office the US postal service suggested the settlement be called “Doering” in his honor. He declined and opted instead for Walburg, the name of the town in Germany from which he had immigrated. He was an active, generously contributing and founding member of Zion Lutheran Church and School of Walburg.

My mother was only 14 when her father died, but in her life she exemplified his virtues of hard work, humility and Christian service; yet I remember very little of her even speaking to me of him.

I knew Grandpa John Kieschnick much better. He was born in 1864 near Brenham, Texas. His heritage was Wendish (Sorb), a distinct ethnic group with its own language, tragic history of persecution, poverty, losers at war that dates back to the first century of the Christian era. He married grandmother in 1886 and they were blessed with 7 children who survived infancy. My father was child number 5.

I have three strong images of Grandfather Kieschnick. One is from a period shortly before his death in 1941 when I was 13. My sister Leona and I were visiting, allegedly to help bring in the crop. Grandpa and we were in the sweltering bottomland of his farm. Two mules pulled the wagon while Grandpa walked along side limping all the way from the lasting effect of a broken leg suffered previously when mules ran wild and he was dragged from his wagon and severely fractured his leg. In the 100º temperature Grandpa limped, sweated profusely and resolutely picked ear after ear of corn and pitched them into the wagon. I looked at him with deep concern, greatly afraid that he was about to fatally succumb to it all right before my young eyes. But he made it back to the farmhouse and instructed me to unhitch the mules and take them down to the water tank (pond) so they could get their thirst quenched.

My second image of Grandpa Kieschnick is of him leading family devotions, a ritual which was for him absolutely essential every single day. I doubt if he every got beyond 6^th grade in school, but he read the German devotional material and prayers with such solemnity, quiet eloquence and conviction that I still hear his voice today.

My third memory relates to his funeral. After his death his embalmed body was returned to the parlor of his farmhouse. There church members, neighbors and friends all came to pay their respects. Then there was a brief pastor-led ritual after which his coffin was placed in the hearse for the trip to St. John Lutheran Church in Lincoln for the formal funeral.

To get from the Kieschnick farm home to the main road required going through several gates. At each of the 4 gates there stood one of his hired black laborers. Each one stood next to a sleek black horse and each black man held his hat solemnly across his chest, honoring the man for whom they all worked.

Grandpa combined his deep devotion to God and church with hard work and wise investments. Beginning with very little he departed having fulfilled his vision of being able to provide via inheritance a separate farm for each of his children.