Stories of Olpe
All About Us
Marge Hagemann
Marilyn Kuhlmann
Teresa Coble
Marie Kuhlmann
Gary Murphy
Lucille Trear
Leon Pimpl
Jeanette Schmidt
MaryDee Brinkman
Marie Haag
Museum Entrance
Welcome to the Lobby
Duane Schmidt
Georgia Haag
William Rathke
Museum of Name of Museum
Room Five
Room Six
Room Seven
Museum Entrance
Welcome to the Lobby
Room Eight
Name of Museum
Olpe Elementary TRC
OES 5th grade
Picture coming
Soon
Everyone has a story to
tell…that was what led us
to this project. We wanted
our students to be able to
listen to those stories first
hand. Then, to make it so
others could experience
those stories as well. We
hope you enjoy them as
much as we did!
OES 6th grade
Picture coming
soon
Back to Lobby
Note: Virtual museums were first introduced by educators at Keith Valley Middle School in
Horsham, Pennsylvania. This template was designed by Lindsey Warneka under the direction of
Dr. Christy Keeler during a Teaching American History grant module. View the Educational Virtual
Museums website for more information on this instructional technique.
Name of Museum
Room 1
Marge
Hagemann
Marilyn
Kuhlmann
Teresa
Coble
Name of Museum
Room 2 Title
Marie
Kuhlmann
Gary
Murphy
Lucille
Trear
Name of Museum
Room 3 Title
Leon
Pimple
Jeanette
Schmidt
MaryDee
Brinkman
Name of Museum
Room 4 Title
Duane
Schmidt
Georgia
Haag
William
Rathke
Name of Museum
Mrs. Marie Haag
Marie Haag was taught by nuns and through her eyes they were very strict. Marie always had to wear a dress no matter what. Only
when Olpe had the worst weather would they allow the students to wear slacks. She went to St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School.
She thought that it was very neat that the school allowed non-Catholic children as well as Catholic children. There were no buses back
then so your parents took you to school and they took you home.
When asked what she thought about modern education Mrs. Haag said, “It has changed a lot.” She challenges kids of all ages to make
their brains like sponges, because through her eyes the more you learn and the better education you get the smarter you will be. And
the smarter you are the more scholarships you will get; and the more you get there are more opportunities for you in this world.
Marie worked hard at school and had big dreams to go to college. But sadly her father had a massive heart attack and she had to stay
home and help take care of him. So Marie got a job at Olpe Elementary School as a janitor.
When Mrs. Haag was young she had trouble speaking, she stuttered so much that she stopped talking just because she was
embarrassed. Later on in her life when she had a son with speech problems, she had a teacher who took him to a speech therapist and
he learned to speak correctly; and from her son she learned to speak correctly, without stuttering.
When asked who her favorite teacher was she said that her favorite was Doris Swindle. When asked why she said, “Well she was very
nice. She made the time to make every student feel special and important about themselves. She was a very small woman and always
had her hair high in a bun. I remember in school that we had a big bulk of a guy and he was the size of a pro football player in high
school, and when she told him to stop and he wouldn’t she would march up to him, grab his ear and pull it. Then she would say I said
stop! Do you hear me now or do I have to pull it again!?”
Marie said that Olpe’s community has changed a lot over the past few years. When it first started out Olpe was a small town that was
set up with a few of the main family’s that live here now. Over time Olpe got bigger and bigger. Now Olpe is populated of about five
hundred people. Marie remembers that when she first came here everyone that was already here was very warm and welcoming to her
and her family.
Mrs. Haag says that when she was young living in Olpe was like being in a dream. When she had to go to school to pick up a book or
needed to go to a friends’ house or go to a church meet at night, she felt safe. Now, she says that you no longer have the safety that
you once felt because you know that there are robbers and other things out there that will do mean things to you.
Interviewing Mrs. Haag was very enjoyable, we hope you find her stories enjoyable as well.
Back to Room 1
Name of Museum
Mrs. Marge Hagemann
She went to St. Joseph’s school and there was no pre-school or kindergarten. Their dad took them to school every day and they had
nuns as teachers. They had their own chalk boards when they wrote and sometimes spelled. They also used little cards to spell and the cool
thing is that they got to use ink pens. The kind you have to dip in the ink.
The education has changed over the years because now we have computers, IPods, and adding machines. They used adding cards instead
of calculators and they learned everything that they needed to know when they started because they did not know things like we do now
starting school.
Her favorite teacher in high school was her principal and in grade school it was sister Delfina. She was very short and always happy.
Her fondest memory she had was the friends she had and all she learned in school. She liked when it was Christmas and Easter time
because they got to draw on the black boards and sister would leave them up for 3 to 4 weeks.
The biggest challenge facing Olpe as we move into the future is the school system because other schools might have to move to other
schools and their towns might disappear. We don’t visit as much and know as many people. Kids don’t respect their parents and teachers
now as much as they did back then. They had to eat everything on their plates before they could go to recess or anything else. But they
would try to stuff the things that they didn’t like in their milk cartons but the nuns would check them and if it was in there they would pour it out
on their plate. Then they would have to eat it.
Most changes have been good. The computers and adding machines have been good but now we might not be able to just look at some
problems and add them really fast and some people can’t count money back to someone without a calculator.
Olpe has changed over the years because it is a lot different. Everybody who lived in town was catholic and the people who weren’t lived out
around the town. She lived out there but she wasn’t very good friends with the kids out there. The really weird thing was that every Saturday
they would sell eggs, milk, and other things. On one side the Catholics would be talking and on the other side the other people would be over
there and they would not go across the street.
She would like to have known a lot as a child. She wished she knew how to work with all her classes and take advantage of all the help
they had because they had strict teachers and they wouldn’t help a lot.
Another story she had, and some good advice, was never play hooky because one day she had to take back props that they used in a
play in high school but they stayed out all day and when they got back they were scared that they were going to get in trouble. So they hid in
a closet and they said “Is she out there? Is she out there?” and sister said “Yes I am out here. You get out here.” So they went out there and
sister said “You are all getting a 0 for today.” So a couple days later they were talking and they said “Did you really give us a 0?” she said
“Yes I did but the next day I took them off.”
Back to Room 1
Name of Museum
Mrs. Marilyn Kuhlmann
Interview of Mrs.Kuhlman
Cassidy David and Maycee interviewed Mrs.Kuhlman about Olpe and the school.
This is what we learned.
In Olpe there used to not be any water pipes, instead they had sisterns.
There were gutters that put water into the sisterns so they could drink.
There also used to not be any paved streets, the only thing for the streets was gravel and brick.
There was a train that ran through Olpe and sometime there were accidents because
the train had no lights on it. Out of all the good changes Mrs. Kuhlman thought that the
park and the water tower were good changes.
Mrs. Kuhlman went to Saint Joseph school, which is a school right next to
Olpe Elementary. There was also something called an activity bus which is a certain
kind of a school bus. It took the kids to a sneak trip or some school activity. A sneak
trip is a trip you would take as a senior to a different state. Girls were also not allowed
to play sports. So if you were a girl and ever wanted to play sports fifty four years ago
you wouldn’t be able to.
Mrs.Kuhlman’s favorite teacher was a lady by the name of Joanne Forager a home Ec.
Teacher. Mrs.Kuhlman liked Mrs. Forager because she was nice and fun. She also said
that if you had a problem you could always go to Mrs. Forager.
Also all they had was a couple of type writers. Then they got electric type writers and then
we got all the technology we have now.
We learned a lot about our community with our interview of Mrs.Kuhlman.
Back to Room 1
Name of Museum
Mrs.Teresa Coble
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Teresa attended school in 1942 and finished her 12 years at Saint
Joseph School and finished school in 1954. She liked to walk to school unless it
was cold or snowy. Her family had a 1943 car it was frozen up and it wouldn’t
start so their dad got the tractor and pulled the car to school with the tractor.
She said it was for the better that when we had the basic reading,
writing, arithmetic but we also had biology. She said all her teachers were pretty
good but her homeconomics teacher in junior or senior year was just 5 years
older than her. She said she was really special to her. She really took her under
wings.
She just liked the fact of going to school and learning and seeing her
friends. She said that it has changed and grown immensely and that we used to
have to quit some businesses. The biggest challenge is holding on to the
school. She has enjoyed the community and she has lived here for 75 years
except for three years in Emporia.
Back to Room 1
Name of Museum
Mrs. Marie Kuhlmann
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Here are some changes to the town of Olpe. There used to be more
stores and buildings in the town of Olpe. There used to be a hotel where the
apartments are now. The candy factory used to be a barber shop and a pool
hall. There used to be a theater, three gas stations, a train station, and a
grocery store that a doctor would come from Emporia.
These are some things that have changed for education over the
years. There were 20 to 30 kids in each class, but they had combined classes.
When the boys got older they would drop out of school so they could help their
parents on the farm. They had to walk to school even if they lived 2 to 3 miles
away, and only if they were older they might get a car. The Saint Joseph
school‘s yearbook was first made in 1946 and called the Bells of Saint- Joseph,
and then in 1947 they renamed it after the builder.
Back to Room 2
Name of Museum
Mr. Gary Murphy
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Gary Murphy went to St. Joseph School for 8 years then he went to Olpe High School. In
both schools the classes were half boys and half girls. From his childhood, Gary most
remembers that at St. Joseph he had to sit at his desk all day unless he had to go to the
bathroom or if it was time for recess. Gary’s fondest memory of attending school in Olpe
was the sports like football, baseball, track, and also dancing. His favorite teacher was
Anthony Gaydos. He was the History and Geography teacher and he was also the football
coach. Anthony was his favorite teacher because he made classes fun and took them to
sports games. Gary thinks the community has changed in many ways. One way Olpe has
changed is that we got new roads. But the populations stayed about the same. And when
Olpe started getting water from Emporia in the 90’s, they used to have to get water from the
lake. Gary was on the City Council and was the Mayor for four years. Gary perceives the
school has changed over the year, but technology has changed Olpe the most. We got the
park in the 80’s from the Lions Club. Gary thinks the biggest problems facing Olpe are
budget cuts. Gary wishes that in school he had studied harder.
Back to Room 2
Name of Museum
Mrs. Lucille Trear
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Lucille Trear went to school at Saint Joseph for twelve years. She had
Catholic nuns as teachers. They had no electronics and had to walk to
school every day. Mass was every morning before school.
The main subjects were reading, writing, and arithmetic. Lucille’s
favorite teacher was Sister Viatora. She said school is more fun now
than it was then. There used to be three grocery stores, two hardware
stores, two service stations, one bank, one creamery, pool hall, barber
shop, one appliance store, drug store, one doctor, one movie theater,
and a soda shop in Olpe.
By: Wyatt, Haylee and John
Back to Room 2
Name of Museum
Mr. Leon Pimple
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Leon Pimple went to school at St. Joseph for most of his childhood. His
favorite teacher was sister Hermanana she was always giving him a
hard time. He thinks that the thing facing our community is to keep the
school up. He told us he would have liked to know mathematics as a
child. When he was a kid,they had to use an outhouse. He dreamed
about stuff we’re learning about at this age, and they didn’t have
computers like us. There hadn’t been changes because the town was
small. If there were changes they were slow. He told us about how a
big kid was shooting baskets and everybody else was small so he just
went up and stomped on his big toe.
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Name of Museum
Mrs. Jeanett Schmidt
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Mrs. Schmidt started doing Christmas pageants in kindergarten until
she was a senior in high school. She didn’t go to Olpe she went
Emporia. She went to a one room school house in Emporia. She went
to Emporia High School. She moved to Olpe and lived here for 50
years .When she went to Emporia she liked history the best and her
favorite was the history teacher, and she didn’t like math. She said
there were less people in Olpe then than now. There wasn’t always
pre- school in Olpe. When she was in school they had four or five
electric typewriters. She is a volunteer art teacher at Olpe Elementary.
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Name of Museum
Mrs. Marie Brinkman
We interviewed Mrs. Brinkman for her stories of Olpe we never knew about. When
Mrs. Brinkman went to school she thought it would be helpful to have a computer. Mrs.
Brinkman enjoyed playing in band and on the playground. She also said that she made a lot
of friends.
She felt Olpe`s community has grown over the years. There are new homes and she
says there is a wonderful school. She says the community is a strong one. She thinks it has
gotten stronger.
The art teacher and the history teacher were her favorite teachers. Mrs. Brinkman
says she learned a lot of stuff and she says age helps. When Mrs. Brinkman graduated
from 6th grade and she went to the high school they sang in the Christmas program and
they loved practicing for it. Mrs. Brinkman did not go to school in Olpe she was raised in
Emporia and went to school there. Her school had Old Maids for teachers. None of them
were married. She also said a train went through Olpe a long time ago. Mrs. Brinkman loves
the new water tower “It’s a plus,” she says!! The new water system is very nice she said.
By,
Elizabeth Karly and Lane
Back to Room 3
Name of Museum
Mr. Duane Schmidt
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Mr. Schmidt went to 96 school house, and said he enjoyed every minute of it. He lived about a mile away from the
school. He graduated 58 years ago from Olpe High School. They moved into what is now the high school building
before it was finished. He said they were still putting down some of the tiles. He was the first class to graduate. Mr.
Schmidt used a type righter instead of a computer. He had an ink well in his desk that he used to write. Instead of
pencils and pens they used quills. He wished he would have studied a lot harder. He believes education is very
important. When he was growing up he thought if he got an average grade that was ok. His biggest memory of
elementary school was when he sang God Bless America in 1st grade. His teacher didn’t think he could do it, but he
did. When he was done one man threw me a dime and another guy threw him a nickel. He said discipline that is
what has changed. Teachers are not allowed to slap the students with a ruler any more.
Mr. Schmidt believes the town has grown with the support of the school and community. Last month Olpe had a
homecoming parade. Just to see them do that, it’s changed .Not many people used to go to the ball games, now
many people do. The community pulls together when someone is in need. Like when Donna had cancer people
donated lots of money to help with treatment costs. Discipline has also changed in the community. Kids are not
swatted in public because it is frowned upon. Some of those kids really need it.
Mr. Schmidt also shared another story with us so we could learn from his mistakes. After the junior senior prom the
juniors got to eat the leftovers. One of the boys decided that after the big dinner that they needed a cigar. He went
and bought a pack of cigars and they smoked one. The principal saw and he made them smoke four cigars before
they could go home. They thought the principal was like a cat that could smell trouble a mile away. Some of them bit
the ends off so they would get done a lot quicker. He got real sick after that. His parents weren’t very happy when he
got home. He never even thought of smoking again.
Back to Room 4
Name of Museum
Mrs. Georgia Haag
Town of Olpe
Olpe has had many changes over the years. People in Olpe are smarter because they are learning
more. They use more technology.
School
Mrs. Haag did not have computers in school back then. They did not have cell phones either. She
does not know how to use technology. Mrs. Lingman was her favorite teacher. Mrs. Lingman
laughed a lot. She now lives in Madison. Mrs. Lingman and Mrs. Haag still see each other
sometimes.
Other
Mrs. Haag lived in Missouri and she had to walk to school. She went to school in a one room
school house. She didn’t learn as much as we do now. Her favorite memory was playing outside or
in the sandbox with her friends. If she could she would go back and study more because she loved
to learn. Her husband went to a different school. When they got older they went home every day
after work and had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Some of her brothers and sisters went to
high school and some didn’t.
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Name of Museum
Mr. William Rathke
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William Rathke didn’t attend school in Olpe. He attended school in the country.
10- 11 miles southwest of Olpe. He went to Rockridge. He went to school from
kindergarten to 8th grade. His favorite teacher was Laura Greenwood. She
taught at Rockridge. She volunteered at the hospital. Recess was his fondest
memory. He enjoyed school. He didn’t go to High school. If he did go to High
school he would’ve had to go to Emporia. It was the only High school in the
county at that time. There was no Olpe High School.
If Olpe doesn’t get any more businesses it might collapse. Transportation has
been a good thing, but there’s too much of it any more. People used to travel
with wagons or buggies. When he was a kid they used buggies a lot. He had to
walk a lot too.
He wished he would have known that he had to go to the army. He was in the
army three and a half years at world war two. In the 1940‘s.
By: Brianna, Chance, and Skylar
Back to Room 4