In 1942 The Students At Ilia School Collected Scrap Iron For WWII

The Mirror (newspaper)

The photograph above, taken in 1942, illustrates how war affects everyone. Along with other schools in our area, the students above, of Ilia school, gathered scrap metal from ditches and from donations to help the United States war effort. During these times when many things were rationed, like gasoline, steel and even nylon used to make hose for women, everyone tried to do their part. Ilia School was located northeast of Mercer on Route W. These were the times when one teacher taught all the students, no matter what grade they were in. The school system was divided up into many 'country schools'. as we like to call them. Soon, school districts began to organize and transport students to larger, more centralized schools. The small country school were a thing of the past. The children above are posed in front of the horse shed at the Ilia school. Many of the students rode horses to school. In the photo above, in front kneeling, from front left: Ada May Wendt, Barbara Shaffer, first name unknown Farr, and Frank Schreffler.......