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DEAT 2 PLAC Spokane Washington
Gladys was a Latin and English teacher and librarian in the Wilbur, Washington schools for many years. She went back to teaching after the death of her husband, and retired in the 60's. She then substitute taught all over the region and took up golf.
She loved to garden.
From early pictures, she seems to have done a lot of outdoor sports with her husband. She remained devastated by his sudden death She had taught earlier (1920's?) at Roosevelt School in Spokane, where her niece Joy Mewhinney has taught kindergarten in the 1990's.
An autobiography prepared for Miss Marguerite Cross (my first French teacher) for some organization.
Upon my granguation from high school in Colorado Springs, Colo,June 1917, I had earned the scholarship to the University of Colorado, but my parents thought I was too young to live away from home at that time, so I attended Colorado College in Colorado Springs.
At the end of that year, our family moved to Davenport, Washington, and I entered EWSC for the year 1918 plus its summer session. On Aug 2, 1918, I received my Normal School Elementary Diploma.
That school year of 1918, I began teaching departmental in grades 5,6,7, and 8 in Wilbur,WA . In those days, 8th grade graduates had to pass state examination and I fondly remember being notified that the highest examination grades in the state were attained by my students in all their subjects I had - geography, history,physiology,etc.
I was working for ? per month ?? at the larger town of Pasco, Wa for $100 per month to teach just the siixth grade appealed to me and I taught there the next two years. I then applied in Spokane and got a sixth grade position which I held for four years.
I recall it was there in Spokane where i first had the privilege and opportunity to vote in the state and national elections. I have always enjoyed every place I've ever taught, but I had met the one and only Stanley Breed, District Manager for the Washington Water Power Company in the Davenport area, so I was ready to retire - and that despite all the earlier urging in 1918 on the part of Dr. C.S. Kingston, my favorite teacher with the master mind, who had always urged me "Gladys, don't ever give up but go on to get a degree." I'm sure only Stan could have influenced me to give up on teaching.
I retired at the end of the school year , and we were married on June 154, 1924. Stan always said that was why the flags were flown everywhere on that (flag) day.
We lived at Davenport, when my husband was promoted to the larger district of Wilbur, WA. It has seemed rather odd to have Wilbur so woven into my existence. We lived in a rented house until we built our new home adn moved there in 1936. But that joy was short lived. On November 3, 1943, my husband, so young, hale and hearty, died instantly of his first heart attack.
The school soon, in November, was calling me to substitute. My first substitution was in grade two, and I'd never taught that low, but it was a joy. I remember the small son of friends in whose home I visited addressed me as "Gladys" for he was familiar with that name. I didn't let on at all, and he never again repeated that alleged offense. The school kept me busy substituting most of that year and I was hired for grade seven the next year. To me it was oddly interesting that I came back to the room where my same desk, used in my first year of teaching, was located -facilities used by Mrs. Rhinehardt.
Beginning that first summer when I was alone, I enrolled at the University of Washington to do as the learned Dr. Kingston had urged me - to earn my degree. It was the only thing I wanted to do, and I've sometimes hope Dr. Kingston knew I heeded his advice.
I was , of course, continually rehired in the grades until I had had my eight U of W summer sessions and had earned my B.A. degree inthe College of Education in August 19, 1949 (majoring in English and Library Science) and finished my fifth year credits on June 10,1950. Then I came back from that summer session to have the Superintendent of the Wilbur Schools, Walter Hitchcock, ask me to take a position in the high school instead of the grades.
English and Library Science had been my major fields so , after doing history, Latin,physical education, plus " what have you", I soon was the all-school librarian (setting up the library in our lovely new building), the head of the English Department,and advisor of the Girls' League for the next fourteen years, supervised and coached declamation, had P.E.,etc. My Latin student won the all-state competition in that subject, I've forgotten the year, but I didn't think a small school student had a chance. Also I handled the
competitive spelling matches and my girl student went to the top in Spokane's competition.
On June 6, 1965, I was given a marvelous retirement reception by the faculty. townspeople, and many students. Thereafter, I kept too busy to think of moving elsewhere. I've substituted in Wilbur, Almira, Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam, Nespelem, Omak, an was asked to sign bu the year at Creston and Omak. But I'd gone through with the disagreeable settling of retirement and didn't want to upset it. At Nespelem I had a long substitution setting up a high school library "from scratch", and having three helpers employed, and I was at Omak on the library, too. Also, I taught English in the night extension classes at the Moses Lake Community College at Grand Coulee. This later I decline the second year as winter driving was too foggy and hazardous. Anyway, my experience has included elementary, high school, and adult education classes, all of which I've enjoyed.
I still judge the declamation contests here and in neighboring towns, get remembered by my former Girl's League, have fun being included in class reunions, get Christmas pictures of the offspring of former studentss, etc. I have so many albums I feel I'll ultimately leave them to the local museum.
I've no idea what you expected in the way of an autobiography, but I'm sure you'll find mine long and tedious. Somewhere, I do remember
we were asked to send in a compilation of our teaching experiences, and, though I'm not sure where to send it, I've tried to fulfill the request, Sincerely, Gladys Breed
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