Another winter to remember

Posted 2/17/09 (Tue)

Even though this winter has brought an abundance – or overabundance -- of snow and frigid temperatures, it isn’t the only winter of note.
Two area residents recently shared memories of the 1948-49 winter season.
Ursula (Schmidt) Wunderlich, Kongsberg, and Clem Leier, Velva, have vivid memories of the mid-century winter.
At age 18, Ursula had been hired to teach grades 1-8 in a rural McLean County School near Strawberry Lake.
In addition to teaching, her job entailed numerous school-related duties. They included hauling coal from a nearby coal pile, keeping the building warm and performing janitorial duties. She was also school cook, responsible for serving a hot meal for her 11 students.