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Before you wonder how well I can count the number of years I was a student, especially given that I am a mathematician, perhaps you should first read the short quip Three kinds. But it may also be helpful to know that I didn't attend Kindergarten (it was only half-day then, and my mother couldn't drive to get me mid-day), we lived in Fargo 4 years (where I walked to school), and I didn't buy a car to drive to school in my high school years (since I couldn't afford one, and I didn't want one).
I vividly remember my first few days of riding the bus as a new first grader. I remember the bus being so large, and when I got on it, some of the kids seemed so big. I was quite afraid, at first. It was a huge relief when Keith rode with me those early days of his sophomore year, since he was also so big, and I knew that he would protect me. I knew Ken and Becky were also there, but Keith was the oldest and would look out for me. I don't have too many other memories of that first year of rides except that I was the only one of my family dropped off at Central Elementary School (though perhaps Becky and Ken were also?). (Note that this school was formerly the junior high, as discussed in the first link in this paragraph, and was adjacent to Union High School, the predecessor to Tech, and where my grandfather attended high school.) I only went to that school for one year, located just 2-3 blocks after crossing the Mississippi River on Division Street, and then on the left (now a remodeled city building).
In my next three years, I went to Lincoln Elementary School on the east side. I am guessing that Lou and Becky went there as well, but I don't recall right now. I was OK on the bus in my second grade, but by my fourth grade, I was a pro. I learned who I wanted to sit by and who I tried to avoid sitting too close to in case their clothes had a pungent manure odor. I also learned who might be a bully versus those who would easily extend sharing their seat (which could hold 3 younger kids easily). During these years, I remember becoming friends with the two Weis family members, Kelly and his cousin, Denise, who were both a year older than me.
The ease of choosing seats in the morning ride was a function of when we were picked up. The route was almost completely within Haven Township (not that I knew that then), and the route mostly covered about 6-9 square miles, east of US 10/52 and south of the Minden/Haven border on the north (which was also the Sherburne/Benton County border). We tended to be picked up either toward the end of the route or near the beginning of the route. In the former, we could see the bus driving west on Sherburne #3 heading to the Schoborgs, then coming back east to come north on our road to pick us up (and others), and then turning back west on the Del-Tone road picking up a few more. So, in that direction, there often were not as many choices since the bus tended to be near capacity. However, in the other direction, we could stake out our domain and try to encourage others that we wanted to sit by us. Typically, if we were toward the last to be picked up in the morning, the afternoon route (following the reverse path) would mean we would be toward the end in being dropped off. That means a ride lasting over an hour, the long way, and about 15 minutes otherwise.
What does one do on such long rides? During the first four years, I remember talking, telling stories, playing cards, asking others to point their finger to their head and give the abbreviation for mountain (mt. = empty), and other such childish things. Things were a bit different in the last four years (9th through 12th). Some people (and maybe me once or twice) still asked for the abbreviation for mountain, but the prompt to the girls was for them to pull the top of their shirt out a bit and look down. Wow, kids can be cruel, can't they? During those years, I sometimes read on the bus or did homework or helped others with their homework (math or science) or talked about school, friends, sports, and the future. In particular, I renewed my friendship with Kelly Weis, both from the bus ride and also because we were in biology class together (since I was accelerated in math and science in Fargo). We became better friends, and I remember him trying hard to talk me into joining him on the wrestling team, but I didn't want to give up the long hair that I was growing (for at least one reason, though there were others).
I don't recall too much about the bus drivers during the first four years, except that they sometimes would ask us to be quiet, even stopping the bus if needed. In the last four years, the drivers seemed much younger (or maybe someone had grown up), and they were often college students from SCSU. They were sometimes friendly but often had shorter fuses and were often tested by various riders (but not me - really).
For my first year on the bus, there were three others in my family, and the next year, Lou brought it to four more. The time that the bus arrived was fluid, but usually within a 10-minute window. In the spring and fall, most of us didn't mind being early and waiting outside for the bus to come. But usually, we had established someone who would watch for the bus and alert those who were still in the house to come out. In the winter, it was important to be able to run back to tell the others since the windows were closed and most of us didn't want to be out when it was cold, if not necessary. It usually worked out. But sometimes there were tricks played. Becky was often the last person out since she was busy choosing what to wear or what makeup to put on, and so on. I confess that several times I was quite mean and sometimes yelled out "The bus is coming!" (truthfully, but deceitfully) when I saw the bus heading west on Sherburne #3. It really was coming, but not immediately. I have apologized to Becky several times for this meanness.
Published 2025-06-26. Revised 2025-08-10.
If you find any error(s) in the text, please let me know. Thanks. Contact me with errors or comments using hibbardac@gmail. [Back to the top] [About the author, Al]
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