The Class of 1896

The Stella, Volume I.

Volume I of the Stella, predecessor to the Polaris, which was first published in 1905. T. LeRoy Laird was editor of The Stella. He wrote that The Stella "has continued to grow brighter and brighter until it shines forth today in all its splendor." Stella is Latin for star. Polaris is the name of the North Star, from the Latin polus, for pole.

The Class of 1896
Mary Stoskopf, LeRoy Laird, Gertrude Timms
Ada Flachetmeier
Myrtle Pierce, Nina McColloch
Edna Crouse
Maimee Dessinger, Margaret Fitch
Malcolm Ford

The Class of 1896
Mabel Whiteside, Arthur Nieman, Naomi Miller
Florette Keeler,
Bertha Briggs, Edith Grier,
Josephine Serf,
Alice Turneaure, John Dittman, Ada Eichelberger

Below, the Class of 1896, with later occupations and residences:

Bertha Briggs, Freeport.

Charles Brubaker.

Edna Crouse, Stockton.

Maimee Dessinger.

John Dittman, secretary, Stover Mfg. Co., Freeport.

Alice Dorman, married Mr. Wright, Freeport.

Ada Eichelberger,

Margaret Fitch,

Ada Flachtemeier, married Mr. Griffith, Freeport.

Malcolm Ford, Insurance, Freeport.

Edith Grier,

Florette Keeler,

T. LeRoy Laird,

Nina McCulloch,

Vera Meyer,

Naomi Miller,

Arthur Nieman,

Myrtle Pierce,

Wilbur Reitzell,

Josephine Serf,

Masy Stoskopf,

Gertrude Timms,

Alice Turneaure,

Mabel Whiteside.

Nina McCulloch married Mr. Cross.

The Freeport Board of Education in 1896.

O.E. Heard, Miss Fannie M. Stevens (Sec.), J. Kochsmeier
Smith D. Atkins, Jacob Krohn (Pres.), Martin Flanagan
D.F. Graham, Mrs. Robert H. Wiles, P.O. Stiver
Dr. J.F. Fair

Freeport High School Faculty in 1896

Miss Flora Guiteau, Prin. J. E. McGilvrey, Miss M. Lulu Clark
Miss Elizabeth Hood, Miss Frances A. Rosebrugh, Miss Ida Gray Galloway
Supt. R. S. Page, Prof. H. F. Patton

The class officers were:
President—T. LeRoy Laird
Vice President—Josephine Serf
Secretary—Maimee Dessinger
Treasurer —Margaret Fitch

R. S. Page was superintendent of schools. J. E. McGilvrey was the principal. Teachers were Miss Frances A. Rosebrugh (who was also assistant principal), Miss Flora Guiteau, H. F. Patton, Miss Ida Gray Galloway, Miss Lulu Clark, Miss Elizabeth Hood, Mr. McGilvrey and Mrs. McGilvrey.

Views of Freeport in 1906.
The upper photo shows Freeport from the intersection of Locust and Empire, 30 years before Freeport High School is built at that location.
The lower photo shows downtown Freeport, looking east along Stephenson Street, taken from the steeple of the 1st Presbyterian Church.

Freeport High School in 1896.

1896 Stella Board of Editors, pictured below
B. LeRoy Laird, Editor in Chief, standing at left
Robert B. Lamb, Illustrator, seated at right
Nina A. McCulloch, standing at right
Edna D. Crouse, seated at left
Florette M. Keeler, squatting at far left
Margaret E. Fitch, standing at left
Arthur R. Nieman, standing at right

Class Color = Orange
Class Flower = Clover
Class Motto = Cuneus Cuneum Trudit
(literally, a wedge drives a wedge)
Class Yell = Whooar!Whooar! Who are we!
The class of Ninety-Six, d'ye see!

Class Officers
B. LeRoy Laird, President
Josephine Serf, Vice-President
Maimee E. Dessinger, Secretary
Margaret Fitch, Treasurer

The Junior Class
Colors: Purple and White
Yell: Hurrah for the Purple!
Hurrah for the White!
We're Ninety-Seven!
We're all right!

Officers:
Reeve Burton, President
Lester Brady, Vice-President
Olive Runner, Secretary-Treasurer

Members:

Grace Aspinwall,
Ethel Barber, Harry Barber, Charles Best, Boyd Brown, Reeve Burton,
George Carroll, Alfred Clark, Garrett Courtney,
Gussie Dreher,
Clara Erfert,
Dwight Freeman,
Lynn Griffith, Torrey Gund,
Nellie Killion, May Kundinger,
Robert Lamb,
Cora Mattert, Alfred Moogk,
Ralph Newcomer, Arthur Nunemacher,
Mary Rosenstiel, Olive Runner,
Bert Skeel, Goodrich Sweet,
Luella Troyer,
Irma Walz, Florence Whitlock, Russell Wiles,
Clyde Young.

The Sophomore Class
Colors: Crimson and White
Motto: Labor Omnia Vincit
Yell: Crimson and White. Crimson and White!
We're from Freeport, We're all right!
Rah! Rah! Rah! Watch and wait!
M-D-C-C-C-X-C-8!

Officers:
Mabel Goddard, President
Fred Brubaker, Vice-President
Alice Stoskopf, Secretary
Pearl Adleman, Treasurer
Roy Bennethum, Sergeant at Arms

Members:

Pearl Adleman, Laura Aurand,
Minna Bamberger, Roy Bennethum, Bessie Best, Cora Betts, Edna Botdorf, Florence Briggs, Edwin Brown, Fred Brubaker, Riley Burdette,
Alvin Dunn,
Ethel Fahr,
Bertha Gardner, Mabel Goddard,
Cora Hoefer, Philip Hoffman, Mattie Howe,
Howard Kintzel, Edith Kleckner, Bessie Krape, Margaret Kruse,
Birdie Lachmacher,
Mabel Matter, Wardie McClees, Mabel Mease, Flora Morgan, Florence Munn,
Helen Read, Blanche Reitzell, Anna Roth, Edna Runner,
Alda Saxby, Florence Serfass, Anna Smith, Jessie Smith, Alice Stoskopf, Fannie Sweatt,
Gertrude Welch, Paul Wheeler, Ada Wirth,
Mamie Youngs,
Anna Zimmerman.

Freeport City Schools

The Freshman Class

Colors: Navy Blue and Cream

Officers:
William Johnson, President
Charles Runner, Vice-President
Jennie Rohkar, Secretary
Charles Lane, Treasurer

Members:

Nellie Arledge,
Lydia Barth, Edith Bergman, James Best, Margaret Best, Archie Betts, Hattie Brigham, Mable Brownlee, Gertrude Burkhardt,
Blanche Capron, Herman Cohn, Nellie Coltmen,
Josie Edwards,
Burton Figeley, Arthur Flachtemeier, Charles Fosselman, Florence Fox,
Jessie Gochenour, Alethea Goodrode, Arthur Green,
Mae Hanke, Gertrude, Hea, Emily Heard, Ina Henney, Anna Hermsmeier, Alice Hershberger, Ada Hoebel, Florence Hoffman, Margaret Hughes,
Cynthia Jaeger, Benjamin Johnson, William Johnson,
Lena Kneller, Will Krape, Etta Kruse, Killie Kunz,
Gabrielle Lagron, Lizzie Lakemacher, Charles Lane, Clara Lathrop, Elta Lohr,
Grace Martin, Cora Matter, Estella Matter, Flora Mayer, Fred Milner, Helena Miller, Emily Moritz, Dora Mundhenk,
Ethel Newcomer,
Louise Pfeifer, Malcolm Pierce,
Minnie Relman, Sula Rodenbaugh, Jennie Rohkar, Ida Roland, Charles Runner, Florence Russell,
Elta Saeger, Lizzie Schaefer, Marie Schwarz, Frank Scott, Mattie Smith,
Charles Thomas,
Iva Van Brocklin, Will Vaupel,
Marietta Wood,
Margaret Young.

FHS Classroom

FHS 1895 Football Team

Alfred Clark, Captain
William Wagner, Paul Wheeler, George Ruble,
Malcolm Ford, Lester Brown, Ron Bennethum,
Dwight Freeman, Lynn Griffith, Torrey Gund

The football schedule in the fall of 1895 included a loss to Rockford, and wins over Belvidere, Beloit and Dakota.

The 1896 Track Athletic Team
Lynn Griffith, Class of 1897, Captain
Members:
Will Keyes, 1897
Riley Burdett, 1898
Lynn Griffith, 1897
Boyd Brown, 1898
Ralph Newcomer, 1897
Malcolm Pierce, 1897
Arthur Nieman, 1896
Roy Bennethum, 1898
Paul Wheeler, 1898
Alfred Clark, 1897
Lester Brady, 1897
Philip Hoffman, 1898
Ralph Mayer, 1897
Reeve Burton, 1897
Will Johnson, 1899
LeRoy Laird, 1896
Alfred Moogk, 1897
Howard Kintzel, 1898

First prize ribbon for the Pole Vault in the FHS Athletic Club's second annual Field Day on May 2, 1896.

Event, Name, Class, Mark

50 yard dash, Griffith, 1897, 5.6 seconds
1 mile bicycle race, Hoffman, 1898, 3:01.5
Running broad jump, Keyes, 1897, 18'8"
Half mile run, Clark, 1897, 2:17
100 yard dash, Griffith, 1897, 11 seconds
High kick, Wheeler, 1898, 8'11"
3-legged race, Wiles & Lane, 1897 & 1899, 9 seconds
120 yard hurdle race, Gund, 1897, 18.4 seconds
Running high jump, Burdett, 1898, 5'6"
Half mile bicycle race, Hoffman, 1898, 1:28.5
Quarter mile run, Clark, 1897, 1:01.6
Running hop, step & jump, Griffith, 1897, 41 feet
Pole vault, Burdett, 1897, 7'8" (winning ribbon shown above)
Standing broad jump, Griffith, 1897, 9'6.5"
Throwing hammer, Reitzell, 1896, 6'9"
220 yard dash, Griffith, 1897, 29 seconds
Putting shot, Burdett, 1898, 26'10"
One mile run, Brady, 1897, 5:20

The Budget
The 1896 Freeport High School Newspaper

H. LeRoy Laird, Class of 1896, Editor-in-Chief
Torrey Gund, 1897, Assistant Editor
A. R. Nieman, 1896, Business Manager
Dwight Freeman, 1897, Assistant Business Manager
Josephine Serf, 1896, Literary
Lynn Griffith, 1897, Athletics
Alice Turneaure, 1896, Locals
Reeve Burton, 1897, Exchange
Robert Lamb, 1897, Artist

The Budget Staff
Back Row: Torrey Gund, Arthur Nieman, Robert Lamb, Josephine Serf
Front Row: Alice Turneaure, Reeve Burton, LeRoy Laird, Lynn Griffith

Advertisements help pay for the yearbook. Please take your business to our advertisers, Brown & Dollmeyer's for your schoolbooks, and J. W. Sanderson for your horse feed and livery needs. That is, if any are still in business.

Some more views of Freeport.
Top: Burrell Brothers Vinegar Company
Middle: Interior of Seeley & Read's
Bottom: H. Meyer Boot & Shoe Mfg. Co.

Ads for Wilbur Lumber & Wagner Printing

Some Freeport churches.

Street scenes.
Top: Galena Street (now Main) looking east from Walnut
Bottom: Stephenson Street east from Walnut

Street scenes.
Top: the Stephenson County Courthouse & Monument
Bottom: Chicago Avenue from south from Exchange

A card postmarked in 1896 showing the Stephenson County Courthouse.

An 1896 calendar from Farmers and Merchants Bank.

An 1896 Illinois map.

Stationery showing The Williams Hotel in Freeport, dated January 2, 1896. Steam heat and all modern conveniences. R. P. Williams, proprietor.

The Reverand Father Clemens Kalvelage of St. Joseph's Church housed some orphans in his rectory, and for a while, in the basement of St. Francis Hospital. In the spring of 1896, a house was purchased for use as an orphanage. The first child, Joseph Hanson, arrived in March. On May 25, 1896, St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum opened with 12 children.

In March of 1905, August Bergman's home was purchased and in 1911, additional lots and a 12-room brick house were added. Financial gifts from John Taylor, Dr. W. L. Caldwell and Matthew Zimmerman purchased the construction of a new building at Jefferson and Galena, dedicated on October 2, 1912.

An addition was constructed in 1922. From 1929-31 six new buildings were added, including a new power house, a baby house and nursery, an executive building, a church, an old folk's home (St. Joseph's Home for the Aged) and a gymnasium, all brick and fireproof.

The farm at Baileyville Road and the Beltline was purchased so that the children could learn farm skills. Starting after 8th grade, the boys worked with the animals and farm equipment.

In 1946, 241 children lived at St. Vincent's. In 1949, there were 230, with 86 of them less than seven years old in the baby house. In September of 1949, 400 attended the annual homecoming. Among those attending were Sister M. Raphael, one of the founders, who had been there for 52 years! Sister M. Isadora had been working there 44 years.

In 1955, a swimming pool was added. In 1966, a carrillon was donated. The farm closed in 1968. In 1970, there were 84 children living there.

St. Vincent's Orphanage closed in 1973. In 1974, the building reopened as a Community Living Facility for the developmentally disabled.

J. Anthony Spataro was born in Rockford on January 2, 1943. Tony lived at St. Vincents from 1944 through 1946, and from 1948 through 1951.

At left, Tony with his father at St. Vincents in 1949. At right, Tony played high school basketball & football.

His brother Angelo went to Aquin, and graduated in 1956. Tony graduated in 1960 from University High School in Normal, while living at the Illinois Soldiers Children School.

Tony lived in four different institutions from age one until he graduated from high school at age 17.

After a stint in the Marines, Tony earned a BS in Education, an MS in Exercise Physiology and a Ph.D in 1991 from the University of New Mexico in Cardiac Rehabilitation and Research.

Tony taught at the University of Tulsa, published two studies in peer reviewed journals including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

His dissertation thesis was presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Meetings in New Orleans in 1992.

The article that was published in JAMA made the national wire service news under the title, "Running Can Give You A Pot Belly."

Excerpts from that article were published in six different magazines.

Tony, in shorts at age 3, with his brother Angelo on the Rockford pier in about 1946.

The Commencement announcement from the Freeport College of Commerce read:

A Cordial Invitation
to attend the
Commencement Exercises
Class of '96
Freeport College of Commerce,
held at
Germania Opera House,
Tuesday Evening, June 30th, '96

Programme
Presiding Officer: Prof. R. W. Burton
Instrumental Solo - Mr. Ned R. Scott
Invocation - Rev. John H. Klaus
Salutatory - Miss Minnie Kochsmeier
Self-Help - Miss Grace March
Music - Ladies' Mandolin Club
Annual Address, The Golden Rule in Business - Rev. H. A. Ott
Vocal Solo - Miss Marie Smith
Presentation of Diplomas - Principal J. J. Nagle
Address to Graduates - Rev. S. F. Entorf
Music - Ladies' Mandolin Club
Conferring Degrees - By the Principal
Valedictory - Mr. Edward M. Fox
Alumni Welcome to Class of '96 - Mr. Sydney D. Confer
Music - Ladies' Mandolin Club
Benediction

Class of '96
Motto: "Truth, Temperance, Thrift"

Collegiate Commercial Course
George Reed

Business Course
Fred. E. Boedeker
Edward M. Fox
Hattie Yeager
Lillie Nauth
Minnie Kochsmeier
Wm. J. Molter
E. Frances Egan
Wm. E. Bechtold

Shorthand Course
Alice C. Allan
Ellen B. Brooks
Kate B. Hershey
Grace M. Marsh
Alice Reisinger
Carrie Spratler
May Vail
Henry Sieferman
Elizabeth C. Allen
Ida. D. Ditzler
Emerson A. Cross
Minnie Palper
Marie Smith
Bertha Staver
Josie Wilson

Reunion
of the
Alumni Association
College Assembly Hall
10:30 p.m.