59th District School Reunion
A Reunion of Firsts for the 59th District School
Fun Fact: For a few years, there were actually two separate schools located very close together on the same site in Granger. People often ask whether it was called the 59th District School or Monroe School—the answer is both: the original 59th District School (built in 1903) became overcrowded, and by 1909, Monroe School was built just west of it to serve the growing student population.
In 1982, nearly 30 years after the last class left the 59th District School, something remarkable happened—two separate groups of alumni scheduled reunions, unaware of each other’s plans. Among them was the last first-grade class to enter the 59th School in 1923.
That 1923 class had lived through much together: hard winters spent traveling to school in horse-drawn wagons, recess games of marbles and mumble peg, the smells of wet woolen stockings drying on stove tops, and the daily ringing of a handbell by the teacher—since the belfry bell had long fallen silent.
They recalled clothes passed down from siblings, corduroy pants and gingham dresses, and the joy of receiving one brand-new outfit each year for the ward reunion. Many of them were literal family—brothers and sisters attending the same classes. Six sibling pairs graced that final class: the Todds, Hansens, Mackays, Sudburys, Warrs, and Smiths.
Through it all, they held fast to a rare kind of connection—a deep bond formed not just by proximity, but by shared purpose, hardship, faith, and fun.
By 1982, only eight of the original class members had passed on. Among those remembered were Mildred Jorgenson, Bessie Parker, Shirl Bawden, Eugene Mortenson, and others—each leaving behind a legacy of community and perseverance.
Only Miriam Latimer and Rulon Mackay had married within the group, but nearly all had stayed near the area where they were born. That steadfastness lent a unique sense of continuity to the fabric of West Valley life.
- Sheri Biesinger
1st Graders at the Old 59th District School
1923 The boys: Back Left: Stan Warr Eugene Mortensen Henry Bawden George Robinson Shirl Bawden Edgar Todd Paul Lambert
Front Left: Alden Bangerter Everett Wendel Orson Arnold Jack Bawden Clair Rasmussen Elmer Hardy Adolph”Edward” Schmidt
Absent- They were quarantined for the Mumps: Rulon Mackay Merrill Butcher Arthur Rueckerert
1st Graders at the Old 59th District School
1923 The girls: Back Left: Bessie Parker, Angelina Mascherio, Wilma Bawden, Helen Grant, Fern Rasmussen, Viola Smith, Sarah Bangerter
Front Left: Elva Mackay, Minerva Tanner, Miriam Latimer, Thelma Penman, Mabel Anderson,
Those that were absent: Ruth Lehman, Iris Warr and Marie Sudbury
