Pleasant Valley Country School

pleasant valley country school
"the rock school"
pawnee county school district 32

It was built in 1873 on land donated by Andrew Fellers. Fellers was the man who caught two horse thieves red handed, making off with a fine team of horses. He barely escaped with his life, but set off a long and involved chain of events that led to a lyching -- after the citizenry debated whether to wait for the circuit judge to come around and after the citizenry voted by standing in a yay or nay line. There's more to the story, much more. But it takes place outside the school district.

pleasant valley in 2017

an overview

In 2013, the owners of the land on which the school stood called a group of alumni together. The school had closed in 2013 and had deteriorated badly. "You have to make a decision," they were told. "Fix it up or tear it down." They decided to fix it up. The owners, Howard & Jim Blecha, were children of Richard Blecha, who had gone to that school and who had, when the school and contents were sold off after the 1955-1956 school year, had bought it for $1. The Blecha family sold it to the Rock School Foundation, a non-profit formed by the alumni. For $1. Howard jokes, "I don't think we've been paid that $1 yet!"

The alumni were able to clear the surrounding junk and trees and put a roof on. However, it was not until 2016 that they had accumulated enough money to do more. By the summer of 2017, there was a floor and a ceiling, walls and windows, chalk boards and doors, and more.

A grand opening was held in October 2017, coupled with an Adult Spelling Bee for good measure. There was standing room only, with some visitors having to stand in the vestibule.

Lists of the students and teachers over the year are not complete, but with many names. There are a few old photographs, thanks to Mary Snook Hawkins and some others. Given that the school had closed 61 years before the grand opening, it was amazing that anything could be found. Records no longer exist. Much is owed to Nettie Stehlik, whose children Duane and Loren Joe attended the school. Nettie, who then had records available to her, wrote an extensive history. It was published in the Argus in segments.

BEFORE & AFTER

The school when it was still a school, shared by Mary Snook Hawkins

The school in 2013, from behind. That crack on the right rear of the school is actually from when the school was hit by lightning right after it closed. It's in Nettie Stehlik's history of the school.

Photo 4172, the school when the alumni decided to restore it

Photo 4171

Photo 4173 -- the roof in progress

rock school in the news -- circa 2015
after the roof, before the rest

Below" Howard Blecha, president of the Rock School Foundation, in the school as remodeling was begun in earnest, in September 2016.

A peek at the original ceiling, which is still there

Former Pleasant Valley Country School student George Tomek, who did most of the renovation work.

pure nebraska films
at the school

2017 - jon vanderford of the television show "pure nebraska" interviews george tomek about restoration of the school.

On October 3, 2017, the "Pure Nebraska" show on 1011 Now television showed a segment about the completion of school's renovation CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW or follow use link to see the video: http://www.1011now.com/content/news/Former-Students-Save-One-Room-School-449244183.html

students

undated

Although the photo is undated, one might make an estimate of about 1909 because at the far left of the front row is little Ed Kalina, who looks like a first grader. In the picture below this, dated circa 1919, Ed Kalina is far older, perhaps an eighth grader.

Teacher Frances Klossner.

In window: Jim Perry, Leo Lionberger.

Back row: Freda Rist, Hilda Lionberger, Hulda Lionberger, Helen Hruska, Lilly Mae Tenk, Tony Kalina, Anna Kalina.

Middle row: Mary Lionberger, John Kalina, Ed Karas, Rudolf Blecha;

Front row: Ed Kalina, Lilly Fritch, Mamie McIntosh, Fern Shawhan, Elsie Karas, Olga Skalak, Kate Perry, Emma Karas, & Lydia Rist.

circa 1919-1920

Back row, L-R: Teacher Mabel Collins; Elsie Karas; Emil Kalina; Rudy Fritch, Sr.; Ed Kalina.

Front row, L-R: Jim Hruska; Lawrence Stehlik; Ed Blecha; Ella Karas; Lilly Karas; Lillian Hruska

Photo 629, shared by Fran Blecha.

When Fran Blecha originally posted the above picture on Facebook, there were quite a few comments. Marge Hunzeker, who had gone to the school, had never seen this picture and loved it.

Frances said to Marge, “Ed and Ella went through a lot of years together! I think Bob says this is the youngest of them in the same picture. And I think Lawrence Stehlik looks just like .... Lawrence Stehlik!” [Ed Blecha & Ella Karas eventually married.]

Marge: “That's what Clark said about Lawrence when he saw the pic. And I didn't realize that Lavon [Blecha] looks a lot like his dad. It's kind of funny that dad & Lillian Blecha lived close in the country then moved across the street from each other in town.”

Luella Hinrichsen added, “ I like the way Lilly & Lillian are looking at each other! I had wondered if there would be any pictures of Aunt Lillian!"

Lawrence Stehlik (1911-1995) with wife Nettie Karas.

Lillian Hruska (1914-1995) with husband Stanley Blecha.

Ella Karas (1910-1999) with her husband Ed Blecha (1907-1966), both in the circa 1919 picture. Photo 5201, shared by her son Bob.

undated

Photo 4818. The size of the group is down from 10 in the circa 1919 picture to 7. Lillian Hruska, the little girl in curls on the far right of the front row in the circa 1919 picture is here and a little older -- front row, 2nd from left.

Front row, Adaline Uhlir, Lillian Hruska, Annie Svanda, Elzie Uhlir, Jennie Svanda.

Back row: Libbie Findies, Sylvia Svanda, Millie Svanda.

undated

Photo 4819. The teacher, Lillian Husker (back row far right) is the little girl in the photo above at the bottom row far right.

Back row: Rudy Tomek, Irene Hunzeker, Ann Svanda, Katharine Tomek.

Front row: Ena Gunzenhauser, Lillian Flider, Evelyn Kalina, Edward Flider, & Frances Marie Tomek.

undated

Photo 4820,

Back: Dorothy Hunzeker Rudy Fritch Jr,

Front: Richard Blecha, Sylvia Steiner, George Tomek, JoAnn Kalina, Milan Tomek

Rudy & Dorothy Hunzeker Fritch circa 2014, shared by their son Ken.

undated

Back row:

Milan Tomek, teacher Mary Ann Sochor, and Richard Blecha

Front row: George Tomek, Sylvia Steiner, Doralyn Steiner, and JoAnn Kalina

This is Photo 1917, shared by Bob Blecha

the last class - 1955-6

Photo 1054. teacher Charlene Glathar Tomek with students Duane Stehlik & Marge Hunzeker (back row) and Janet Flider, Loren Joe Stehlik, and Jackie Flider in the front. Circa 1955.

2015 reunion of alumni, family, & friends

The annual alumni reunion in 2015. Alumni in the front row: George Tomek, Edward Tomek, Milan Tomek, Dorothy Hunzeker Fritch, Rudy Fritch, Jr., & Loren Joe Stehlik. In the back, far right, are Bob & Lavon Blecha, whose parents Ed & Ella Karas Blecha were students here.

2017 gathering of alumni

George Tomek, Milan Tomek, and Rudy Fritch, Jr.

Dorothy Hunzeker, Edward Tomek, and Larry Gilbert

2019

On the west side of the Rock School is a hill of native prairie. The only thing that has changed since way back when is that it is now cut for hay. Otherwise, it's the same prairie that the Pawnee Indians may have crossed as they traveled through on their hunts, or that Andrew Fellers -- whose homestead it is --- may have been riding through the night he caught two horse thieves red-handed and almost lost his wife. Debbie Blecha shared these pictures of her husband Howard cutting hay in September 2019.

Photo 8508c

Can't you just see this scene on a dark night with a full moon and two horsethieves and Andrew Fellers skylined right where the tractor is going? That would have been 1864. Or Jim Fritch and Ephraim Wheeler and teams pulling a limestone rock up from the quarry on the other side of the hill, headed down to build the school for their children in 1873? Photo 8508b.