DESK, PORTABLE

Description: RECTANGULAR. BASE OF DESK IS MADE OF WOOD. BOTTOM SIDE HAS A WASHBOARD TEXTURE; MADE UP OF A NUMBER OF ROUND DOWELS PLACED SIDE BY SIDE. THERE ARE ALSO TWO SQUARE WOOD PIECES PLACED ACROSS DOWELS FOR STRENGTH. THE REMNANTS OF A PIECE OF PAPER STUCK TO UNDERSIDE OF DESK READS . . . "SCHOOL DISTRICT NO." . . . "DURING AT LEAST EIGHT WEEKS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR 1892". TOP SIDE OF DESK IS COVERED WITH BLACK VINYL? ON THE BLACK VINYL ARE THE FAINT IMPRESSIONS OF GREEN LEAVES. AN EYE IS SCREWED INTO TOP EDGE OF DESK; HAS A BLACK SHOELACE TIED TO IT.

History: DESK BELONGED TO EMMA CLASEN, MOTHER OF THE DONOR, ALBERTA KIENHOLZ NEE CLASEN. DONOR'S PARENTS WERE CHARLES AND EMMA CLASEN (NEE PFLEGER) WHO FARMED SIX MILES EAST OF CARDSTON. THEY MARRIED FEB. 25, 1911 IN CEDARBURG, WISCONSIN. EMMA TAUGHT SCHOOL AT THE PLEASANT VALLEY SCHOOL IN CEDARBURG AND MOVED TO THE FARM NEAR CARDSTON IN 1911. CHARLES HAD MOVED A SHORT WHILE EARLIER. ALBERTA JEANETTE CLASEN WAS BORN MARCH 28, 1922 IN LETHBRIDGE, AND PASSED AWAY HERE OCTOBER 22, 2000. ALBERTA MARRIED ALFRED KIENHOTZ IN 1943, WHO FARMED NEAR WOOLFROD, AND THEY HAD 3 CHILDREN - JOHN, ALICE, AND ESTHER. IN 1960 THEY SEPERATED AND SHE MOVED TO HER MOTHER'S FARM. IN 1962 ALBERTA INHERITED THE FARM FROM EMMA AND OPERATED IT UNTIL RETIRING IN 1991. THE FARM WAS THEN SOLD TO THE RALEY COLONY. CHARLES, EMMA, AND ALBERTA ARE ALL BURIED IN MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETARY. ALBERTA HAS ONE SISTER, LILLIAN LEAVITT OF CARDSTON.