This week I once again visit the beautiful memories that Sally Alpers Arney shares with us about her early Valley Home childhood memories! It is with great pleasure I share the cherished memories that are being sent to me. Valley Home holds a special place in the hearts of many ... even to this very day! I wrote in an earlier article about the missing school bell ... from the belfry ... today I share with you more wonderful memories from Sally. Sally shares with us that she believes there was no kindergarten during the war years here in Valley Home. That meant that first grade was held in the basement of the Lutheran Church which was across the street from the school! Sally remembers that her family had just moved to Valley Home just after the war ended. She had attended first grade in Hayward then came to Valley Home. Sally was going to go back to first grade here but the decision was made to move her to second grade. She was moved into the old 2 room school house. Sally believes the year might have been 1946 ... her best guess as to when the new school was moved into ... would have been 1948! The school bell was stolen after the new school opened. The old school was empty and not being used when the bell was stolen. Sally remembers the year was 1952 when she graduated from the new school. She has wonderful memories of her childhood in Valley Home! She remembers that at that time she would ride her bicycle to school. She would ride about a mile down Valley Home Highway to the school. She loved going to the Grange Hall where all special events in Valley Home were held! Holiday programs, graduations, and so many other community events were held at the Grange Hall. I believe our Valley Home Community Park stands now where the much loved Grange Hall once stood. I am told that The Grange Hall had a beautiful stage where many happy memories were made in that beautiful building. Sadly many years ago the Grange Hall building was deemed unsafe and had to be taken down. The Valley Home Community worked so hard to save this treasured building but was unable to do so. It was heartbreaking when this special community gathering place could not be saved! Still to this day those who were blessed to be a part of the events that took place in the Grange Hall have the most cherished memories. Sally shares that her most vivid memory of the Hall is the Christmas Program! She remembers they were all lined up behind the closed curtain, each holding one of the letters to spell Christmas. At that time the curtain rolled up like a curtain. One of the bigger kids started rolling up the curtain and somehow Sally’s skirt got caught in the rolling! She was frantically trying to hold her skirt down and finally her teacher realized what was happening. The teacher called for the kid to quit trying to roll the curtain up; Sally recalls seeing the teacher laughing along with everyone else and at that time she didn’t think it was funny at all! Now at last Sally looks back and she too thinks it was indeed funny. I would like to say ‘Thank You’ to Sally and all who share their stories ... what a beautiful place back then and what a beautiful place now ... Valley Home; we are all blessed!

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As always you may reach me by calling 209-985-5233 or by email at winniemullins51@gmail.com. Until next time “Happy Trails To All”.