Flipside: Siblings--Lida VanGilder and Emma VanGilder teachers

School photograph
Easton School, Easton, Monongalia County, West Virginia
November 23, 1911

Amy Johnson Crow has a 52 Ancestors Week blog challenge which I have decided to give a try for the second year.

The prompt for week # 10 (March 5-11) is Siblings.

I'm certain that many, of not all of us, have seen ancestors who were employed in the same occupation throughout the years as ourselves and thought.....it must be genetics. I certainly have. This blog covers such a thought.

It is not a new surprise to me, just one I have only touched on when blogging about my two paternal great-grandaunts, Lida Edna VanGilder Farrar, Emma Leona VanGilder Williams and my paternal great-grandfather, George Ethelbert VanGilder. All three siblings were teachers in country schools in the greater Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. The ladies taught in the late 1890's and early 1900's at Union School in Easton, Monongalia County, West Virginia and my great-grandfather in the Woodlawn School #2, Monongalia County, West Virginia circa 1888.

History of Monongalia County, West Virginia
Samuel T. Wiley, page 657

Education was an essential part of all the VanGilder family's lives. Their father and my paternal great great grandfather, John Oliphant VanGilder was the president of the Morgantown School Board in 1883 and my paternal great grandfather, George Ethelbert VanGilder was the secretary of the Board in 1883.

Four of the VanGilder kids attended West Virginia University and three became teachers in the country school system in Monongalia County, West Virginia. This blog will cover two of my great-grandaunts. The fourth VanGilder, Lena Gertrude VanGilder also attended West Virginia University. I have not found information as to whether she graduated.

From the Morgantown newspaper
Researched by Dr. Robert Poole Wilkins

This hand typed mention of both Emma and Lida as teachers at the Union School in Easton, West Virginia was my first information regarding the teachers in the VanGilder family.

Emma Leona VanGilder

Emma Leona VanGilder, daughter of John Oliphant VanGilder and Mary Louise Hill, was born on November 26, 1870 in Monongalia County, West Virginia. I have not to date found any West Virginia University enrollment documents for Emma. I only know of her teaching school from the newspaper mention shown above and from the 1900 West Virginia census where her employment is that of teacher.

1886 map
VanGilder farm, Woodland School and
Easton School are all marked in red

Easton, West Virginia is a fairly straight ride from the VanGilder farm. I would imagine the two sisters either road horses or took a wagon or buckboard to work. All would be available on the VanGilder farm.

I decided to post Emma's page in her brother and my paternal great grandfather's autograph book. Beautiful hand writing and an academic sentiment.

I have no knowledge what grade Emma taught or how many years. She married Harvey Strother Williams on August 23, 1903 and may have stopped teaching then.

Lida Edna VanGilder

Lida Edna VanGilder, daughter of John Oliphant VanGilder and Mary Louise Hill, was born on April 26, 1873 in Monongalia County, West Virginia. Unlike her sister, Emma, Lida had numerous listings in the West Virginia University catalogues.

West Virginia Argus
February 27, 1896
page 4

Misspelled first name
Lida E. VanGilder
A.B. 1897

Lida VanGilder A.B. 1897 (Mrs. H.T. Farrar)

Athens, Ohio

Russell Dwight VanGilder, A.B. 1921, another teacher. Grandson of John Oliphant and Mary Hill VanGilder and nephew of both Emma and Lida.

It is possible that Lida began teaching after she graduated. She married Henry Theodore Farrar on July 23, 1902 and probably stopped her teaching employment.

Lida presented a paper at the Teachers Institute at Easton on January 17, 1902. The topic was "The Country School". I have transcribed the newspaper article which appeared in the Morgantown Post newspaper on Thursday, February 6, 1902, page 2.

Lida's autograph album page in her brother's book. The George Ethelbert VanGilder Autograph Album is a family treasure.

Three of the VanGilder siblings taught school in the late 1800's and early 1900's in the Morgantown, West Virginia area.

My two brothers and I also became teachers. I was a preschool teacher for decades from 1969-2006. I held the positions in Head Start as teacher, lead teacher and center coordinator in four centers. I transitioned to a day care center, private day care, nursery school (teacher and administrator) and taught a preschool theater for ten years.

My brother Ken taught in elementary school for years in the Orlando, Florida area, moved north and taught two elementary grades in the Elyria, Ohio school system and adult education after he retired from teaching public school. Ken holds teaching certificates from Pennsylvania, Florid and Ohio.

Brother Jeff came into teaching later in life. Following a career in the law, he was a health coach, taught spinning classes and currently is teaching English as a second language, citizenship to pass the citizenship exam, GED and Entrepreneurship and adults whose first language is not English.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published. PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.