Willow Valley School centennial celebration bash

Willow Valley School centennial celebrations
Photos and video T. Lucas and C. Davis except *

Toni Lucas

Willow Valley School held their centennial celebrations on the weekend of September 5-7.  People came from (sometimes very) near and far came to be part of the celebrations. On Saturday morning Alta Pharis, the last surviving teacher from the school, once again got to ring the school bell and gathered those that actually attended class in the school for a photo op. The school was a working one room school from 1914 until 1961, and is still in use as a community center.  In the past decade or so the structure has been considerably revitalized.

Commemorative sign
Wendy Davies photo*

Emcee and entertainer Doug Rawlings introduced the many organizers, and invited people to enter written memories into the time capsule. Municipal District Reeve Brian Hammond addressed those that attended and was part of the dedication of a commemorative sign that now graces the property. John Sekella, Hilton Pharis, and Phyllis Moore (nee Pharis) were three that were educated from grade one through their entire educational years in Willow Valley School. These three were asked to join the Reeve and Erica and Rob Nichols who worked diligently to make the new sign a reality to be a part of the dedication ceremonies.

The crowd was treated to live entertainment, a country market, picnic lunch, silent auction and kids programming, including a skit that the kids worked on together throughout the day. People mingled and shared memories. The children had an organized play area with many activities and crafts, but they did what kids do best. They entertained themselves, and found adventures in the hills and the trees, and investigated the grounds just as children 100 years ago would have.

Author and organizer Wendy Davies

Organizer Wendy Davies wrote a book about the Willow Valley School and the history of the area that was unveiled during the event  that was on sale during the afternoon. Davies estimated that there were approximately 225 people attending for the event. "It has been incredible," she said.  Davies and many others were wearing a t-shirt with 'Cowboys' emblazoned on it, a tip of the hat to the former Willow Valley baseball team.

Time capsule full of memories

Alta Pharis is the last surviving school teacher from the school. "Well, it was the first year that we were married," said Alta who was married to Hilton Pharis. Alta had taught for 4 years before they were married. "When we got married there were 5 students who could have come here, but for 2 of them, their mother taught, and she taught at another school, so I only had three little boys here, when I started to teach. They were all in grade 2, and it was lovely." Later that same year another family moved into the area. "They had a little girl, and she was in grade 2.  That was a delightful year, because you can do so many things with and for little people."

Former students of Willow Valley School

Pharis spoke fondly of her students. "They helped me a lot, in just getting acquainted with the community. We had a great year." Pharis only taught the one year at Willow Valley, deciding to take time to raise her own family, but says that she has wonderful memories of that time. "I rode from Christmas to Easter, because there was no road from here to our place, which is another 4 kilometres up the road." there was a barn for the school where she would keep her horse on the property. "My horse would get so anxious to get home, that I could barely get into the saddle, before she would take off." The barn was demolished and replaced with a curling rink that was on site for 30 years from 1962 - 1992. "Lots and lots of curling, sometimes 24 hours a day. We'd put the kids to sleep in the school, and come out here to curl." Pharis later went on to teach at Livingstone School in Lundbreck.

Reeve Hammond cuts ceremonial ribbon on commemorative sign

"I spent grades 1,2 and 3 here," said Mel Kubasek who attended from 1957 until the June of 1960. "My teacher in grade one was Babs Fisher, and 2 and 3 was Nettie Mowat. I never knew her first name until maybe ten years ago. Out of respect teachers were Mrs., like Mrs. Fisher and Mrs. Mowat. In the school there was maybe seven (students)," Mel believed that there were four grades that shared the schoolhouse when he attended and listed a few of the names: Wayne, Larry, Peter, Glen, Louise, and Linda. Mel pointed to the house he grew up in, visible south of the school yard. "We walked here to school, all the time. We never were driven. Thank God I wasn't by myself, I had my brother with me," he said, because of the high winds and storms that can pose a challenge from time to time in Willow Valley.

"At lunch time, we would spend time down by the creek, and we had trails through the bushes, the willow trees. There was a robin that came back 2 of the three years that I went to school here, and that robin loved us kids. She would stand on the edge of her nest, and let us feed earthworms to her little ones. That is the most important thing I remember about the fun things of going to school here. I loved it, it was nice being a kid out here."

Glen and Mel Kubasek

Glen Kubasek is Mel's older brother and attended for 6 years. He said that his favorite thing going to school there "Was running around. Just running around, in the trees, and in the willows."

Town of Pincher Creek Councillor Lorne Jackson was there in an official capacity to give greetings from the town, but he has fond memories of the area as well. Jackson used to grade the roads in the area. He told a story about stopping for lunch and seeing a cougar on the ridge, above the school. Jackson admitted that he regrets that "I didn't have a camera that day."

That was what this was all about. Memories shared, and memories made, and a community coming together.

Willow Valley School