Twice upon a time

The year was 1919. Notice how the numbers repeat themselves? In that very special year Congress established an Act To Establish The Grand Canyon National Park, The Barnum and Bailey Circus merged with Ringling Brothers Circus, Harry Houdini stared in “The Grim Game,” and The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties to end World War I.

That same year, Dorothy Ege was born on Aug. 6, in rural Newton Township; Arlett Doll was born 20 days later in Sterling, Illinois. Arlett attended her first eight grades of school at the West Sand Ridge School while Dorothy was educated in the rural Erie School District. Both girls graduated from Erie High School in 1937.

Not all friendships bloom with age. It is normal for things to change. But Arlett and Dorothy continued together along life’s long path. Following high school graduation, both Dorothy and Arlett attended Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois. Blackburn College is a private liberal arts college located between Springfield, Illinois, and the St. Louis area. Dorothy attended Blackburn from 1937 until 1939. She later continued her education and graduated from Marycrest College in Davenport. Arlett earned a teaching certificate from Blackburn in 1937 and returned to complete a degree in Elementary Education from Marycrest in 1971.

And what did these fine friends do with their educations? They returned to their home area and taught for decades. Dorothy taught in area schools for an amazing 35 years. Arlett, who originally dreamed of being a home economics teacher, found herself teaching in a one-room school from 1939 until 1941. Later, Arlett returned to teaching. At one time, she taught in the same classroom she attended when growing up. This time it was first grade at the Newton and Fenton elementary schools from 1961 until her retirement in 1978.

Both ladies now are members of the Whiteside Retired Teachers’ Association and attend meetings faithfully.

Although Arlett and Dorothy contributed directly to generations of area families, they also raised their own families. These two ladies had no idea of what life had in store for either of them. They accepted their genetic blessings, grew up to become positive influences on thousands of lives both inside and outside of their classrooms, and continue to be extraordinary role models in their communities to this day.

Virginia Ray,

Fulton, Ill.