Grandma Lane is "grandma" to eight students in Matt Oliver's class at Grace Christian Academy.
The first-, second- and third-graders at the newly opened Minden school are receiving a first-hand account of what it was like in the early 20th century from a woman who goes by only "Grandma Lane."
"I was born in 1923 in Fullerton, N.D.," said Lane. "My dad was born in 1884 and my mom in 1894. I learned from their knee."
Two days a week for one hour Lane tells the students about her life, living on a farm with 400 sheep.
"That was all wheat country," she said.
Lane brings in props from her childhood, such as a blanket made from the wool from her own family's sheep and goose down from the goose-down pillow she made more than 70 years ago.
"My feathers are 75 years old," said Lane.
Lane also brought chaps and chinks to class made from skins of her own family's cattle. Two boys in higher grades, Alex Borgman and Luke Barulich, wore the leather leg coverings for the class as a surprise, with western music playing in the background.
"She explained that chaps were the longer of the two, and were to be used when riding though rugged territory with rocks or brush that could scrape your calves and ankles," said Oliver. "She explained that chinks were shorter, knee length, and were used when the extra protection for the lower leg was not necessary."
Lane also wears her cowboy hat with a hat band made of braided horse hair from her own horse she had as a young girl.
Students in Oliver's class are writing stories about Lane's visits that are displayed on the classroom wall. They came up with the idea all by themselves to compile the stories into a book to be sold at Grace Christian Academy for $1 each, with the proceeds going toward buying books for the school.
"The children are learning about history and also learning how to get money and give it back to the school," said Lane.
To find out about buying a book about Grandma Lane's teachings, contact school headmaster Julie Henry at juliehenry@gcanevada.org or 782-7811.
Lane's sharing of memories happened to have coincided with class studies of books from the two reading series "Little House on the Prairie" and "Grandma's Attic."
"When we started reading "Little House on the Prairie," Grandma Lane would break in and say 'Let me explain how it really was,'" said Oliver.
One of Lane's students, Daniel Barulich, 7, came running out of the classroom to give her a hug in the hallway. The second-grader always asks to sit beside Lane in class.
"It's fun because you can learn more history in everything that we've read," said Daniel.
Lane attended Grace Community Church for 15 years, from the time it was located on Industrial Way in Gardnerville through its move in November to its new location, 2320 Heybourne Road in Minden.
She started teaching the students around the end of last year after a doctor prompted her to find something to relieve her depression. Lane's son, a Vietnam War veteran, died on Sept. 10, 2005, from the after-effects of contact with Agent Orange.
"I went to the doctor and asked for pills for depression," said Lane. "He said the love you have has to come from somewhere."
When Grandma Lane first started, Henry sat with her and thought the arrangement was perfect.
"She makes all the kids spell the words out," said Henry. "Kids write stories about how she lived. It's incredible how well they're reading."
In the beginning, Lane acted unsure of herself while teaching the children, according to Oliver.
"She tended to give herself a hard time over her reading or her sharing," he said.
The students gave Lane "homework" and told her to write that she would no longer belittle herself.
"(She) has been nicer to herself and much more confident in leading her reading group since then," Oliver said.
"Her heart is so much in the school," said Henry, looking thoughtfully at Lane. "I don't know who it's been more beneficial for, her or the kids. I think, for her."
n Jo Rafferty can be reached at jrafferty@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 210.
