Two sisters remember

As sisters Karen VanderMaten and Sandy Vander Maten strolled through the building during the farewell celebration, memories began to swirl. The sisters – along with three of their seven siblings – attended Valley Springs Elementary first through sixth grades.

“The last year was 1975, and I’ve seen a lot of different changes in here. I’ve only found one person (here today) that’s as old as me that has gone here, but otherwise, this is kind of neat,” says Karen, who lives in Garretson.

She noted the staircase as you come through front doors doesn’t seem as big as it once did. And as for the stairs going down into the basement, she said you didn’t dare back them.

“Because that was scary back then, she said.

She cites Mrs. Dixon, her second-grade teacher, as her favorite. Her reason: “I took second grade twice,” she said. “She was just the type of person that made you want to stay around another year.” 

As a kid, Sandy viewed the gymnasium as “way bigger and darker” than it is today.