05/18/2026
GRASS LAKE SCHOOL
School District #5, Town of Belle Plaine
Written by: Evelyn Wolf
Thanks to Todd Ninman for sending the photos.
The Grass Lake School, formerly in District #5, Town of Belle Plaine, is located one and a half miles east of Highway 22. It was named for the Grass Lake Road which passed the school.
There are no records as to when the first school was built, but early settlers believed it was in the late 1800s.
The first school was a frame building which stood on the present property of the St. Martin's Lutheran Church. When the new school was built, the old building was sold to the church congregation to use as a parish hall. Walter Althaus later bought the building and used the material to build a home on Highway 22 near the county hospital.
The new brick building was erected in 1916.
Land was purchased from Emil Wolf. This school was in operation until 1940. St. Martin's Congregation was also operating a parochial school and most of the children attended this school. Because of the lack of pupils in the public school, Grass Lake was closed and the building rented to St. Martin's for a parochial school for five years. In 1948 it was reopened as a public school and accepted the children from the Beyer School which closed at that time. Grades from one to eight were taught until integration with District #8. Then grades one to six were in the school.
Miss Margaret Wing (Mrs. Ed Rosenow) was the last teacher to teach in the old school and the first to teach in the new. Her salary was $45 a month. Other teachers who taught there were Esther Spague, Esther Uhl, Olga Grosskopf (Mrs. Ernest Merriam), Lucille Thimke (Mrs. David Utke), Esther Retzlaff, Marie Schieder, Aurelia Moede (Mrs. David Beversdorf), Mabel Grignon, Aletha Hildeman (Mrs. Ohlinger), Audrey Boehm (Mrs. Ed Laehn), Genevieve Sanders (Mrs. Obert Raasch), Franklin Montour, Emil Grosskopf, Ida Grosskopf (Mrs. Herman Laasch), Miss Wilson, Eva Bergman, Martha Pahlow, Mrs. Sohr, Viola Bohr and Luella Krake.
There are no records as to the first board members. The members who were serving at the time of integration were Elmer Beery, Ervin Drews and Emil Wolf. Mr. Wolf was treasurer of the district for 36 years. He succeeded William Pahlow who also served on the board for many years. Other board members were Albert Kupsky, Ed Rosenow, Charles Raasch, William Retzlaff, Ernest Merriam, Rudolph Miller and many others.
The school had grades one to four with an enrollment of 22. Later it was closed and razed.
It was located at W8166 Belle Plaine Avenue.
SOURCES: Mrs. Gilbert Kriewaldt and Mrs. Pahlow
Grass Lake School Girls 1928
Pauline Stienke, Lucile Hildeman, Gertrude Vorpahl, Arthur Ninman (peeking), Zelma Retzloff, Vera Hildeman, Emma Vorpahl, Ruth Potratz
Grass Lake School Boys 1928
Herman Vorpahl, Arthur Ninman, Leonard Wolf, Victor Hildeman, Lawerence Braun, Arthur Vorpahl, Leonard Vorpahl, Roy Ninman, Eldan Hesse, Oliner Vorpah, Rueben Vorpahl, Clarence Vorpahl, Emma Kleeman teacher
Grass Lake School All Students 1928
Lenard Wolf, Gertrude Vorphal, Zelma Retzloff, Vera Hildeman, Emma Vorpahl, Herman Vorpahl, Lucile Hildeman, Pauline Stienke, Arthur Ninman, Victor Hildeman, Lawerence Braun, Vila Braun Alma Retzloff, Arthur Vorpahl, Leonard Vorpahl, Eldan Hesse, Roy Ninman, Marcella Braun, Ruth Potratz, Oliner Vorpahl, Laura Braun, Clarence Vorpahl, Ruben Vorpahl
