Memories of ‘Miss Fifth Grade’ 

Live on in Davis

By Jeff Hudson, Enterprise Staff Writer

(reprinted with permission)

Marguerite Montgomery Elementary School bears the name of a local teacher who came from a pioneering Davis family.

According to research done by Renate Fry, who served on the committee that recommended the Montgomery name for the school, “the original Montgomery men – father William and sons William W. (Known as W.W.), Alexander, Hugh and Robert and their families came to the area then known as Tule Sink, or what we call South Davis today,” Fry said.

“They crossed the American continent from Missouri, made a small fortune in gold mining, and bought land from General Vallejo in 1850. This Yolo County land became known as Montgomery Sink.

“Although it was a constantly flooding marshland infested with grizzly bears and covered by 10-foot-high tule and willow reeds, the stout-hearted ranching families such as the Montgomerys persevered and carved out very successful lives for themselves,” she said.

“The Montgomery family was responsible for clearing thousands of acres of land for farming and grazing, and built some of the roads and bridges we have in South Davis today.”

“The family donated land for the first school in the area, called Montgomery School. This school was a one-room school locate on Montgomery Avenue at (what is now) the site of Ted Puntillo’s home,” Fry said.

“It was rare for rural children in the 1870s to be educated, but the branches of the Mongomery family sent their collection of the children to receive a first through twelfth-grade education, as did other families in the area.  When it was time for the children to go to college, the Alexander Montgomery family bought a second home in Woodland, so that all their 11 children could further themselves at the local college,” Fry said.

“The Montgomery School existed from 1870 to 1924 – 54 years.  Education was obviously a priority for the family,” Fry said.

Marguerite Montgomery lived from 1892 to 1989.    

“She was the granddaughter of the original pioneering family of Alex and Susan Montgomery.  Her father, Andrew Montgomery was one of 14 children born to Alex and Susan,” Fry said.

As an adult, she became a teacher, working from 1915 to 1957.

“Miss Montgomery was a legend in the Davis educational circle of her time. She was remembered as ‘Miss Fifth Grade.’ She was known as a teacher who parents wanted their children to have,” Fry said.

“Because she was responsible for educating at least three generations of children during her 42-year career, she knew all her students very well, and everyone in town knew her,” Fry said.

Fry said those who knew her described Miss Montgomery as “a tall, stately, handsome woman with immaculately groomed hair, very much respected by students, parents and colleagues. Her students described her as very strict, but much beloved.  Even though her teaching methods were tough and her standards were high, students who completed her fifth-grade class felt a sense of accomplishment.”

Pat Chiles Schlabes was one of Miss Montgomery’s fifth-grade students at the old Davis Elementary School, “the one that was in what is now Central Park,” she said.

“She commanded our respect. She was a strict teacher, but she was ultimately fair.  And we all felt that we learned more from her (than from most other teachers).” Schlabes recalled “the stern look on her face….She was firm but ultimately fair, and left all of us with a good feeling about ourselves.

“She was meticulous in her appearance, and there was never a hair out place. Her hair was always well groomed with lovely waves.  And when smiled, she lit up the world,” Schlabes said.

Retired teacher Joe Carey knew Miss Montgomery as colleague.

“When I got here in 1950 – that was before Davis had a zip code – I was the only male junior high teacher. All the rest of the teachers were female.  I was the new kid on the block,” he said.

“We all had extra duties (in addition to teaching), and (Miss Montgomery’s) was supervising the lunch time. The room that is now the Davis School for Independent Study at 526 B Street was then a big multipurpose room, and the children who ordered hot lunch ate it there.”

The lunchroom served both elementary, junior high and high school students – all three schools being very close together at that time.      

“And the lunch line was presided over by Miss Montgomery. She knew almost all of the high school students, from when they’d been in elementary school. She was a walking encyclopedia of the student body,” Carey said.  “You didn’t screw around in her chow line, I’ll tell you that.”

But the students liked her.

“They may have been awed by her when they were in her class, but afterward they made it through, (they would) say it was one of the best experiences they’d had.”

Carey said that on her own time Miss Montgomery sometimes socialized with some of the other single teachers.

“They had a little sorority, and they’d go out to dinner once in a while, usually Sunday after church.  They’d go to the Nut Tree or the Black Oak (down the road) – an afternoon in Vacaville. It was that kind of simple pleasure that she talked about.

The staff at Marguerite Montgomery Elementary hopes to gather other recollections of Miss Montgomery from former students and colleagues.  If you have a memory of Miss Montgomery, or old photographs that could be duplicated for a display at the school, contact the school office at 759-2100.