Mary Stark

Dustin White
Editor

Looming large over the Mandan school system was a woman who helped shape the minds of students for five decades. While she doesn’t find a place in the history books, her impact on the area was no less profound; an impact that continues to live on through the school that bears her name today: Mary Stark.

Beginning
1882 would be a defining year for Dr. George A. Stark and Anne Jane Knox. Leaving their home in Wisconsin, they relocated to Morton County, building the first house in the city of Glen Ullin. The move would also give George the pleasure of becoming the first medical doctor in the county. But the city life wouldn’t be for them at that time, and soon, they would once again pack up and move to a farm south of town.

In that little house, Mary Stark would begin her life, one of seven children, on Oct. 10, 1890.



Being pioneers, the Starks would witness the passing of the buffalo and the native horses. They would see the last Lakota uprising, and later, the marching of Cox’s army, whose purpose was to protect the increasing number of farmers and ranchers in the west.

Yet, Stark’s life on the farm would be cut short, as a decade after she was born, her family would move to Mandan. The move would be to the benefit of the Stark children, as the city schools provided an improved educational system. A chance at a better education was important to Stark’s parents.

Once in Mandan, George, Stark’s father, would take over the practice of his partner, the late Dr. Reid, and in so doing so, became an important figure in the community. It would also give the Starks a chance to add another first to their name, by moving into the first house that had been built in Mandan.

Stark would end up excelling in school, and graduated from the eighth grade at Mandan Grade School. She would continue to pursue her high school degree from the Mandan High School, and upon completion, in 1908, received recognition as the only student that had completed the four years of high school without receiving a single absence.

Following her graduation, Stark would attend the Valley City Normal School (Valley City State University) in 1909. To help cover her schooling costs, Stark received a rural scholarship, which provided her $300 to attend classes for a year, in which time, she completed her Standard Certificate of Training.

As part of the scholarship’s stipulation, Stark would have to commit to teaching at rural schools for at least a year, and on Sept. 20, 1909, she would begin to honor that commitment, which turned into a five decade long career of teaching.

That first year, Stark would board a train to New Salem, accompanied by her father. In town, they hired a team of horses to take her the 10 miles to Rosebud, the school that would begin her illustrious career.

“That first class had twenty students and all grades,” Stark said in an interview in 1959, just a year before her death. “There were no conveniences, of course, and the mile-and-a-half walk to school through all kinds of weather was at times difficult.”

At Rosebud, Stark started her first three-month term as a teacher. As an early pioneer though, Stark would have to take on additional difficulties as a rural teacher. With the rough weather that often blows through the state, Stark said that it was not uncommon for the children to stay the night at school.



Life in the rural areas of the state also meant that individuals had to stock up on provisions for several weeks at a time, as going to town on shopping trips were infrequent, and often were all day incursions.

As Stark’s term at Rosebud finished up, she was once again on the road. Relocating to the small town of Deering, near Minot, Stark would start off a six-month term with a warm welcome.

“The whole town turned out to see their new school mom get off the train,” Stark said in a 1959 interview.

From Deering, Stark would spend three months teaching at Sunnyside, west of Mandan, and then six months at Judson. It would be in Judson that Stark said she recalled perhaps the “gayest” times of her life. It would also signal the end of her year long commitment to teach in rural schools.

With that chapter in her life closed, Stark began looking to the future. Returning to her home in Mandan, where she packed away her straw suit case in her attic for good, she would begin her long career as an educator in Mandan. The year was 1911.

Teaching in Mandan
Stark’s first assignment in Mandan was at the then new Custer school, which had just been completed on the east end of Mandan. She would enter the Mandan School System as it was beginning to grow rapidly, with new residents moving to the city, as well as many rural families making the decision to send their children to the larger schools.

At Custer, Stark would serve under the first principal of the school, Miss Burns. It would also be at Custer that Stark would meet a life-long friend and fellow teacher, Mary Cantwell Schafer.

For eight years, Stark would cherish her time at Custer, until she was transferred to the little grey Syndicate school in 1919. Three years later, in 1922, the new Syndicate school was completed, and Stark would take on a new role. Taking reigns as the school principal, Stark would also continue educating young minds as the first grade teacher.

Going beyond
The mark that Stark left wasn’t just because she was passionate about teaching. She was a compassionate teacher, who made the children her focus. From making sure that children were dressed properly in the winter time, to helping feed those who were in need, Stark made it clear to what depths she cared for her children.

“During the hard years we established the first hot lunch program for underprivileged children,” Stark said in a 1959 interview. “We cooked, served and paid for these meals ourselves, and also found it necessary to provide clothing for the needy.”

The hot lunch program that was established would be the first of its kind in Mandan, and during the depression of the 1930s, was a life line for many hungry children.

Her generosity went further than just feeding those in need. Realizing that some students, and their families, didn’t have the means to pay for their work books and texts, Stark would instead pay for them out of her own pocket. It was an act she did quietly, but one that touched numerous residents, leaving a lasting impression.

Under her leadership, the school as a whole also made an effort to help as much as they could. Hosting activities such as Junior Red Cross, as well as a stamp and scrap paper drives, Stark made sure the school was involved, especially during WWII. For their efforts during those years, the school would earn a scrap paper collection award, as the war raged on in Europe.

Legacy
While Stark was often quiet about her actions, she nevertheless received the recognition that she deserved throughout her teaching career.

In the 1920s, she was nominated by her peers as an Outstanding Teacher of North Dakota, and would later be honored by receiving the Daughters of American Revolution Education Award for Good Citizenship. However, while such recognition was flattering, it wasn’t important for Stark.

Instead, she was more interested in her community, and was dedicated to making it better. Active in the community throughout her life, Stark was a member of the Eastern Star and the Mandan-Bismarck Zonta Club. Stark was also the president of Pioneer Daughters.



Her legacy would expand much further than just the groups she was personally a part of though. Having served as a teacher for 51 years, she would have the honor of being influential in having taught much of the third generation of individuals who settled in the Mandan area. Stark’s influence and impact reached so far that Mandan honored her by setting aside a Mary Stark Day.

When, in 1959, Stark celebrated her 50th anniversary as a teacher, the community came out in support, and to show that she had indeed earned a special place in the community’s heart. At the time, she seemed to be in good health, which would be true until the day she passed way.

Celebrating 70 years of life, Stark finally made plans to retire. The end of her last term of school was nearing; a chapter was closing on her life.

Having served the community as a teacher for 51 years, Stark believed it was time to move onto new things. Only a little over a month was left in her final school year, but her time would be cut short.

On April 25, 1960, while driving over the viaduct to school, Stark suffered a fatal heart attack; passing away. By her side was Stark’s life-long friend, Mary Cantwell Schafer, who accompanied her often on the trip.

Her passing was mourned by the city; a city which lost a woman who had had such an impact on many generations in Mandan. Schools were closed for the afternoon, in her honor, so that students had the opportunity to attend her funeral.

Later that year, the Syndicate School changed its name to Mary Stark, in honor of the beloved teacher. When the original building was replaced with a modern one in 1970, the name Mary Stark stuck.

While today the name Mary Stark may have lost some of its meaning to both students and individuals in Mandan, her impact can nevertheless be felt. The dedication that Stark showed towards her students, as well as the community that she loved, remains imprinted on the hearts of those that she touched.