Waukon, part 3 (St. Pat's)

I know you are wanting to have another history lesson! Right? This one is on St. Patrick's School. I started school here in 5th grade in 1959. I want you to know that I wore a grey....wool....knife pleated skirt, white blouse and black sweater for 8 years! Now I had more than one outfit but I wonder if these young whimper-snappers of today would do that?


St. Patrick's School opened in 1883. It has provided a high quality education for over 125 years. ( I am testimony to that statement!) When the first one opened it was a school and a convent for the Sisters of the Presentation. In 1936 plans began for a new building to include a four year high school, as well as the other grades, because at this time there was only room for 10 grades. The new building to include high school opened in 1939. Additional classrooms were added in 1956. The parish hall and kitchen in the church basement were added for the school lunch program. As numbers grew, a new building opened in 1961 and housed grades one through six, leaving the older building for junior and senior high students.




This is the building where I went to school from 5th through 12th (1967)! It looks the same.


In 1970, St. Patrick High School graduated its last senior class. Grades 10,11 and 12 were discontinued, followed by grades 7, 8 and 9 the following year. In 1999 they decided to add the 7th and 8th grades back. Isn't this kind of wishy-washy thinking?


Anyway, when I was in school, we were the St. Pat's Wildcats! I thought I would add that little tidbit.

This is St. Patrick's Church, immediately across the street from the school. I'm not going to do any history on it. It's a beautiful church and has not changed very much (except the altar) in many moons. AND JB and I were married here 38 yearly moons ago!

I wonder how old that pine tree is.

The end.