Esma Lewis Elementary School

Esma Lewis School

 

Esma Lewis  A brief bio for Esma Frances Eddleman Lewis
Esma was born February 28, 1890, at Dongola, Illinois to parents Sandy Alexander Eddleman and Minnie Lee Morton Eddleman. She was raised by grandparents after her mom passed away June 8, 1892, and her father passed away October 18, 1897.
She was educated in the Dongola area schools and graduated from Dongola High School.
Esma had a younger brother named Morton who was born November 4 1891, 21 months after her. Unfortunately Morton passed away March 18, 1892 at 4 months of age. Their mother Minnie then passed away 82 days later.
Esma attended Forest Park University in St. Louis, Missouri, and Southern Illinois State Normal in Carbondale, Illinois. Later, she took classes at Western State College in Gunnison.
At the age of 19, and on August 31, 1909, she came to Colorado to teach school. She would continue teaching for the next 60 years retiring in August 1970. All 60 years were taught in Garfield County.
She first taught in a one room school at the mouth of Divide Creek where she had 13 students. Records show she taught until Christmas, then the school had no more funds. An account says she accepted $5 per student to teach six more weeks. Then, she taught near Mamm Creek the rest of the school year and the next year.
Esma next taught in Silt for 17 years, Antlers for 17 1/2 years, then 22 1/2 years at Rifle Junior High. She became principal for the Junior High.
On August 31, 1959, Esma was attending the opening assembly at Rifle Junior High when a surprise announcement was made that the new Elementary being completed next door would be named Esma Lewis Elementary. In November 2001, a school bond was passed which renovated the Elementary and made it part of the middle school campus.
Esma married Claude Emerson Lewis on March 15, 1911. The wedding was held in Silt in the home of Herb and Mae Nunns, and where Esma was living. After the wedding, they moved to the ranch where they lived the rest of their lives. They had one adopted daughter Florence, who married Cecil Carpenter.
Claude passed away August 23, 1966. Esma passed away January 8, 1985. Both are burried at Rose Hill.
Esma was a long time member of the Silt Congregational Church and was a life long Sunday School teacher. She held choir practice in her home. As long as she taught, her class said the Lord's prayer at the beginning of every day. Besides teacher, she
served as moral and spiritual guide to her students, everyone of whom she knew as a friend.
She received many awards and honors including the naming of the elementary school. She received the Valley Forge award in 1965, an honorary degree from Western State College in 1967, and was listed in Who's Who in Elementary Education.
She was a long time member of the Colorado Education Association, and the local president.
Through her career. She took extension courses in the winter and she attended Western State College for two weeks each summer.

Naming the new school after Esma Lewis

Esma Lewis Obituary

 

Mrs. Viola Frick and her husband moved to Rifle from Longmont August of 1956.
She filled the need as a 2nd grade teacher at 4th street elementary for 1956-57 and went to work right away. The next school year she moved to her preferred 3rd grade position.
In 1959, the Esma Lewis floor plan shows her classroom on the inside on the north wing of the school, still as a 3rd grade teacher.
Her husband J. E. Frick was pastor of the 7th Day Adventist Church in Rifle and the church at Rulison.
They had earlier been missionaries in China and were held prisoner by the Japanese in the late 1930's when war started there.

1959-60 1st Grade Class Esma Lewis Elementary School

  

Georgia Alberta "Grace" DuCray Tucker.
Also known as Mrs. Tucker to those of us who were in her class.
She was born August 31, 1916 in Grand Junction. She married Edwin 'Buster" Glenn Tucker October 26, 1935 in Loa, Utah. They raised three children.
Many of us were her students, she taught first at 4th Street Elementary, then from November 1959 at the new Esma Lewis Elementary.
She passed away December 1, 1998 and is buried in Grand Junction, her original hometown.

 

 

1969 Esma Lewis School Staff

1969-70 Kindergarten Class

1970-71 Kindergarten Class Photo

 

1988 Esma Lewis School Staff

 

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