Mary Anderson – Oregon teacher
By Mary Norwell and published in the Oregon Observer on November 15, 2023.
Mary Almeda Sholts Anderson was born to Professor and Mrs. Arthur Sholts in March, 1897. She spent virtually her entire life on the family farm, just south of Oregon. Her father was a professor and Regent at University of Wisconsin.
Mary loved life on the farm. When she was 7 years old, Mary began milking cows by hand. She loved the farm and loved milking the cows. “The years when we all milked by hand were wonderful. It was the best social hour we had.” She regularly milked cows before attending school.
She finished the eight grades of elementary school in just five years. Mary graduated from Oregon high school in 1913 and went to the Green County Normal school. She began teaching in rural schools in the fall of 1913. She taught in the rural schools for 16 years; Mainly at Fisher Valley and Locust Grove schools.
When she met Frank Anderson, and wanted to get married her dad had a talk with her. “Mary, Frank is a fine man” he said, “However, I know you well enough to know that education will always be your first love and you’ll never truly be happy unless you finish your education.” Mary and Frank were married in 1917, when Mary was 20 years old. Later she said “Father was right, Frank was so good, but I cried over the wash tubs for two years.” That’s when she began taking correspondence courses.
After her son Lyman was born, she stayed home for several years. Then the urge returned and she decided to continue her education. Her husband gave his blessing with two caveats: She had to help with the milking and he couldn’t offer her any financial help.
To help pay for her education, she began to teach piano lessons. She charged 50 cents a lesson or $1 for an hour. Oftentimes it took more than two hours just to get to a lesson.
She eventually received her BS degree from the University of Wisconsin and continued on to get her Master’s Degree. Her majors were mathematics and German and concentrated on English Education for her Masters. By then it was the 1930s. Jobs were scarce and she had trouble getting a job. It was seen that she, as a woman with a husband, did not need a job but the unemployed with no income needed it more, especially the men.
She eventually began teaching at Oak Hall school. She stayed there for three years and then in 1938 was hired to teach English and Music in Oregon. During the second world war there was a shortage of male teachers and she began teaching math and German also.
Mary’s life had its share of sadness. Mary’s father died in 1933, her mother and brother died in 1947, and her husband died in 1953.
Mary Anderson kept teaching school until 1968. In a time when retirement was mandatory at age 65, she kept getting exemptions and kept teaching. She also taught piano lessons for over 50 years. Mrs. Anderson was a unique teacher. Chew gum in her class? She wasn’t having that and would bring the waste basket, demanding you spit it out.
If she was happy with the class, she often rewarded her students by reading Greek mythology. She taught German when I was in high school; Her students loved her. At her memorial, these adjectives kept coming up: enthusiastic, professional, loved teaching, always smiling, love of language and music.
Mary passed away in 1987 at the age of 90. She left behind one son and four grandchildren.