30 years ago – July 5, 1985
Ann Cornfield, social studies chairman for Nederland Junior-Senior High School, has been selected to represent one of two teachers to represent the Boulder Valley School District in a summer institute dealing with the improvement of instruction on the meaning of citizenship and basic political principles that underlie our constitutional democracy. Upon returning to Boulder Valley School District, the two teachers will be conducting in-service workshops for elementary and secondary school teachers of social studies. Cornfield will also be taking part in a summer institute at the University of Colorado dealing with the improvement of instruction in the area of geography. Cornfield has taught at Nederland Junior-Senior High School since 1976. Her major responsibility is with middle level social studies and she teaches one class at the high school level. Cornfield has established herself as a recognized professional in the area of social studies through her developmental work at Nederland Junior-Senior High School. Her selection as one of two teachers representing the Boulder Valley School District demonstrates the confidence and respect that other social studies leaders in Boulder Valley have for her abilities.
To the Editor: Little Gertie is coming home. Many Register-Call readers will remember the saga of Little Gertie’s tombstone. A preservationist friend in Denver had known about the tombstone for several years. It had occupied a prominent place in the living room by the fireplace in an avant-garde courtyard apartment complex. Unfortunately, it was used to strike matches to light the fireplace. One side is damaged from this. It was rumored to be from Central City, but no one would actually say. When the owner/neighbor moved to a more upwardly mobile lifestyle, Little Gertie’s tombstone was unceremoniously dumped beside a dumpster on Capitol Hill, along with the trash of moving. Our friend rescued it. She had always had a feeling of distaste for the way the stone was being used – not to mention that a small child’s stone had been taken away from her family’s loving tribute to her. She brought the stone in and rescued it from being taken again or just crushed by the trash truck. When we first wrote the Register-Call, we received many letters and telephone calls from caring Gilpin County citizens and former residents. Many hoped it was the stone of the little child in Lake Gulch which was vandalized some years ago. Unfortunately, the descriptions fit none of the suggested graves. A year or more passed before we received “the” telephone call. And, the call came from Gilpin County’s own fine historian, Sid Squibb. Sid had read the original letter in the Register-Call and had searched and searched his extensive records and found nothing. As things will happen, Sid came across the information as a footnote on other records. It was a footnote about a little girl who had no stone and her name was “Gertie.” Sid called to double check the date on the stone and they matched, September 19, 1882. Little Gertie was one year six months when she died. She was an adopted daughter of the Westman family. Her burial place is in the family plot in the Odd Fellows Cemetery. So, Little Gertie’s stone is coming home. Thanks to a Denver artist, Dom Bracken, who saved it from destruction and thanks to Sid Squibb who has a fantastic memory and never gives up on his research. We need to have some repairs done and a base prepared for the stone, but Sid Squibb will supervise the resetting and it will be about in time for the 103rd anniversary of Little Gertie’s death. Signed, Marilyn Massey and Patsy Ellis.
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