What was life like before WW2?

Question: What was life like before WW2!?

What was school life like before WW2!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

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I know mainly from what my parents, who are now around 80, have told me!. Both came from large farming families in southern Indiana--times were hard, to say the least!.

The Great Depression was still on--it really didn't end until WWII!. There was little money to go around!. They made many of their own clothes (out of flour sacks--the sacks used to come in flowered material), raised hogs and cattle for butchering, listened to the radio when they had a little time to spare, spent in beds stuffed with straw, hay and grass, churned their own butter after milking their own cows, and went to church every Sunday (that was also their social time)!.

They were brought up to be respectful and polite, they were taught to work hard, and they were taught to never throw anything useful away!. They learned to squeeze a penny until it screamed, a trait they still retain until this day!.

School was a one-roomed building for both of them!. They walked several times to and from each day!. Only one teacher managed several grades!. He (or she) would start with the lowest grade, get them working on something, then progress to the next grade, get them working, etc!., until all eight grades were busy, then hurry back to the first graders!. Once in awhile a student would bring a baby to class because no one at home was well enough to take care of it!. The teacher would take care of the baby too!. Teachers were definately unsung heroes back in those days!

Students learned reading, writing, math, science, history, but the little one-roomed schools didn't have time for band or choir; those subjects were saved for the larger town schools!.

Lunch was carried from home and was cold, unless you stuck a jar of soup on the wood stove!. Oh, and to keep things cold, you could stick them in the near-by creek or spring!. There was also an outhouse, which came in handy!.

Anyone misbehaving got paddled, and as busy as those poor teachers were and as harassed as they were, I don't blame them a bit!. But from the way my parents have spoken about their little schools, I think they loved them and loved their teachers!. My father's teacher joined the army when WWII started and was killed during the war!. Both of my parents went to larger "town" schools once they'd finished 8th grade!. When I'm home, we sometimes drive past the little schoolhouse Mom attended, but most have collapsed!.Www@QuestionHome@Com