Pella Dutch: Portrait of a Language in an Iowa Community, An Expanded Edition

Appendix B

Appendix B IN 1982, the author was one of the contracted fieldworkers hired to document selected efforts at ethnic heritage and language education efforts for the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. The report that follows represents the sitation found in Pella in 1982; specific facts may not be current, but the vast majority of the issues raised here are. A REPORT ON ETHNIC HERITAGE AND LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN PELLA, IOWA prepared for the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress by Philip E. Webber Central College Pella, Iowa 1982 IDENTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL INFORMANTS (Code numbers in parentheses refer to archival holdings, such as taped interviews and photographic material, in the American Folklife Center's archives.) 115 PELLA DUTCH The Historical Perspective Mrs. Emma Lou Heusinkveld: retired teacher; author of a history of the Pella Community (ESB2-PW-CBa, b) Miss Dena Versteeg: retired teacher who formerly offered a program in Dutch to her pupils (ESB2-PW-CIOa) The Pella Community Schools Mr. Merlyn Vander Leest: principal, Lincoln School; author of a monographic thesis on the influence of Pella's Dutch background on educational programs (ES82-PW-C13a) Mrs. Ruth Brummel: music teacher at Webster and Lincoln Schools (ESB2-PW-Cla) Mrs. Muriel Kooi: teaches fourth grade at Webster School; heritage program based on her book, The Path of Delft (ESB2PW -C2a, b, ESB2-PW-CSb) Mrs. Jeanine Van Vark: teaches third grade at Webster School; organized a program on Pella's history, with songs in English and Dutch, for senior citizens at Fair Haven (ESB2-PWCSa ) The Christian Schools Mr. Ivan Groothuis: principal, Pella Christian Grade School (ESB2-PW-C4a) Mr. Fred Kooi: music teacher at Pella Christian Grade School (ESB2-PW-C3a, b) Mrs. Harriet Zylstra: librarian and resource coordinator at Pella Christian Grade School; teaches Dutch when offered (ESB2PW -C9a, b) Mr. AI Bandstra: teaches fifth grade at Pella Christian Grade School; does a unit on local history (informal interview) Miss Anne Gritters: student at Pella Christian High School; former Dutch pupil of Mrs. Zylstra (ESB2-PW-Clla) Private Efforts Mr. Robert De Jager: retired teacher-principal of the Peoria, Iowa, Christian School; now offers private instruction in 116 APPENDIX B Dutch (ES82-PW-C6a, b, ES82-PW-C7a, b, ES82-PWC14a , b) Miss Lori Schiebout: pupil of Mr. De Jager (ES82-PW-Cllb); Mrs. Marie Schiebout: Lori's mother, present at the time of Lori's inteview (EW82-PW-Cllb) Mrs. Katherine Schiebout: Lori's grandmother; arranged for her granddaughter's instruction in Dutch (EW82-PW-C13b) Mr. Len Gosselink: parent of Holly Gosselink, one of Mr. De Jager's pupils and a pupil at Pella Christian Grade School; proprietor of a Christian book store (ES82-PW-C12a, b) Dutch Family Singers and Dancers: a cooperative of families interested in practicing and performing Dutch music; prominent at Tulip Time and at festivities throughout the year (ES82-PW-C4b) Persons and Programs to Watch Mrs. Millie Vande Kieft: responsible for summer programs at the library; this year initiated a program in Dutch children's literature and Dutch proverbs and sayings (ES82-PW-C15) Mrs. Barbara Dieleman: emeritus professor of education at Central College; long-standing association with the schools; chair of a college-community committee to celebrate 200 years of formal ties between the U.S. and the Netherlands (informal interview) Miss Gail Franje: student at Pella Christian High School who took private lessons in Dutch from Mrs. Zylstra and went to the Netherlands on her own initiative Focus and Scope of the Report The Pella, Iowa project centered not upon a single school per se, but rather upon the varied attempts of a community with a strong ethnic heritage to transmit cultural values and practices to its younger members. Case studies and assessments are based upon observation of programs taking place both within and outside formal educational settings. In considering the activities of the community's public and parochial schools, we have focused upon programs which clearly go beyond the mandated curricula. 117 PELLA DUTCH Evolution of Community Attitudes toward being Dutch-American Pella was founded in 1847 by a group of religious separatists from the Netherlands, under the leadership of the charismatic Rev. H. P. Scholte. In addition to being a minister, Scholte gained prominence as an entrepreneur, publisher, educator and politician. Had his foreign birth not disqualified him for the position, Scholte would have been Lincoln's choice for...