EDUCATION
Education to the Pratt family seemed to carry more importance than it did to most farm families of those years. In a period when few children went through high school or even past the eighth grade, those seven children all finished high school and went on to some kind of advanced training or education.
"My mother taught school before her marriage, having received her training at Valparaiso, but father's schooling extended only through the sixth grade. In spite of this and, I have always thought, because of this, he encouraged, almost insisted that we children receive all the education his finances and our mental capacities would permit".
A list of reading materials which could always be found around the house included: the "Chicago Tribune", the Benton Harbor "News-Palladium", "The Saturday Evening Post","The Country Gentleman", a leading farmers' journal of the time no longer in existence, Doubleday's "The World's Work" which was a non-fiction magazine covering business, politics, and world news which ceased publication in the 20's, "The National Geographic" was added later and "The Youth's Companion" was bought for the children. Around 1910 a set of the Encylopedia Britannica was also purchased.
My note: In my "Guidebook to the Pratt Family of North Berrien" are photographs of the Eamon School where the Pratt kids went to elementary school, a photograph showing the kids and teacher when Joe, Helen and Genevieve were enrolled, and Nellie's teaching cerificate which shows that she also taught school. (emailed July 15)
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