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Phyllis (Peterson) Pope: B. S. in Home Economics Class of 1951 and M. A. in Home Economics
Education Class of 1970
"I had a full semester in the Sims Cottage home management house with Zdroik, Johnson, and Bohl. I recall that
after I had cleaned and cleaned and cleaned, windows and everything, the furnace (referred to as Belching Bula)
would blow and I would have to clean again. We decorated the cottage for holidays, especially Thanksgiving and
Christmas. We also learned how to set a table according to strict etiquette. Everyone in the cottage had a job
for the week: laundress, cook, etc. One time when I was in charge of the food and we were at the end of our
food budget, I went to the butcher in town and got kidney to substitute for liver, and didn't tell anyone else.
I served it as liver and onions and Bessie May Allen said it was some tough liver."
"I received my bachelor's and master's degrees from Stevens Point and have worked all of my professional life as
a home economics teacher at the high school level."
Ann (Elsen) Eggleston: Home Economics Education Class of 1953
"We had a ball in the home management house. I was in the first group to live in the "new" home management house
on Main Street. Miss Youmans was in charge. She was fun. She told us that if she walked into our room in the
middle of the night, that we shouldn't worry; she was just sleepwalking. Evidently it was common for Miss Youmans
to sleepwalk but I never witnessed it. There was a skit that Miss Youmans did where she showed us how to pack a
small suitcase for everything that we would need on a trip. She demonstrated how to dress up an outfit just by
adding a scarf or by changing one piece."
"I recall that on April Fools Day, Mrs. Mary Pfiffner (later, DeBot) was invited to dinner and we put all the
wrong utensils and dishes on the table. Miss Youmans drank her beverage from a gravy boat and sat in a rocker
at the table. And on St. Patrick's Day, we put green food coloring in some of the dishes and in the milk. We
also had green shoes for a centerpiece."
"I remember running across Ellie (Curtis) Walters making her wedding dress and she had the pattern pieces all
spread out in the hall. Tuition then was $37-$42.60 and it cost $200 to live in Nelson Hall. I had to take
4-5 credits of science each semester because there were a lot of science requirements in the major back then.
I met my husband while I was working as a checkout at Kroger."
Bernadelle (Polivka) Toser: Home Economics General Class of 1954
"Midway through my college career, a fresh breeze blew into the Home Economics Department from Neillsville by
way of Missouri. We called her Miss Y (Miss Rita Youmans) and liked her very much. Which was fortunate because
our class was so small. Six of us resided with her at the home management house on Main Street for an entire
semester."
"We took weekly turns at being cook, hostess, cleaning person, etc. After a few false starts (some of us didn't
want to be forced to get up, come down and actually eat breakfast) we learned that opinions shouted down the
laundry chute carried beyond the basement. It was impossible to thoroughly clean the house in one afternoon!
I don't remember the particulars of any meal that I prepared except the one with beef kidneys as the main dish.
The house smelled peculiar, the residents were hesitant to eat, and frankly, people have very long
memories."
"On a personal note, all six of us were dating the men that we eventually married, so Miss Y got to know them.
Every couple remains married, although my husband died in 1995. We met (and liked) Miss Y's mother. Miss Y met
our families and we remained friends throughout her life. I eventually met her husband."
"Home Economics was a priority for President Hansen, who I believe knew all of us by name and would greet us so
if he met us in the hall. He was a kind man, and we often invited him and his wife for dinner on special
occasions. I loved the spaciousness and mystery of the third floor, and the auditorium where we had our style
shows. Losing so much of Old Main seemed unnecessary to me."
"Even though I may not match the flowers in my centerpiece to the flowers in the damask cloth I choose when I
entertain, and have forgotten the rote recipe for baking powder biscuits, I remember those who instructed me
in these arts. They were some of the many people who helped shape my life."
Helen (Steckbauer) Schultz: Home Economics Education Class of 1954
"Three of the girls living in the home management house went downtown to give blood for a blood drive. All
three were rejected, but for different reasons, one for low blood pressure. Funny that these with all the
nutrition information and science background were all rejected."
"Miss Youmans was the home management house supervisor. After a migraine headache, she got up in the middle
of the night sleepwalking, and changed all her clothes from one closet to the other in her room. She woke up
never realizing she had done it."
Donna (Thompson) Milius: Home Economics General Class of 1954
"I came to Stevens Point because my high school home economics teacher encouraged me to go on to school. I was
in FHA in high school and I received the FHA scholarship."
"I was in the third group in the new home management house on Main Street. Vivian (Schultz) Behm was there
too. I remember all the science courses we had to take. One semester, I had three labs, two hours each.
Many people didn't realize what a challenging major home economics was academically. Some days I spent almost
all day in labs. Our class was very small and I think because of this, we had a close relationship with Miss
Youmans."
"Our semester at the home management house was great, home away from home. Planning, preparing, serving, and
cleanup for our required dinners for Advanced Foods made for a very closely-knit group. We had the experience
of having Bessie May Allen as our advisor for two years, her last two years in the profession, an experience in
itself. She was a true home economist. But I am happy we were able to experience newer ideas when Miss Youmans
came."
Faith Pomerening Wilde: Class of 1956
Faith coordinates the sewing and distribution of Comfort Caps and Comfort pillows for medical centers in the Northwoods area.
"As an active 4-H and new London Future Homemakers of America club member, I had an interest in home economics. I attended
Central State College. After graduation in 1956 I taught 1 year at Arbor Vitae-Woodrufff high school and 2 years at Lakeland
Union high school. I taught 30 years for the vocational school at Rhinelander and Nicolet College adult special interest education
clothing related classes. I've owned Country Sewing Center for 25 years featuring sewing machines, fabrics, and classes.
Currently, I am enjoying retirement and volunteering."
Eileen (Niemuth) Hoehne: Home Economics Education Class of 1959
"I was a very shy country girl from rural Waushara County. My first two years I worked for Mrs. Belva Allan on Division
Street who owned a beauty shop. I took care of her two young boys and did some housework and cooking. The last two
years I roomed with 7 other girls at Mrs. Gordon's on Center Street. No one had a car and we walked everywhere."
L-R: Nona Smith, Eileen Niemuth, Audrey Gerbyshah, Miss Thompson, Nancy Coon, Carol Brown
"My most outstanding memories are of staying at the Home Management house with Miss Thompson, our adviser. We had to
vacuum the logs for the fireplace! At Christmas time we had a formal "tea." The weekend before, Miss Thompson brought
back a large box of Swedish Rosettes and hid them in a closet. We found them and sampled them ahead of time, but she
never found out (sorry Miss Thompson)."
L-R: Wanda Stacke, Eileen Niemuth, Carol Brown, Audrey Gerbyshah, Nona Smith, Nancy Cook
"In Food's Lab, with Miss Davis, my most memorable time was when we had to prepare formal dinners. We could invite
some family members. When ironing the long linen tablecloth, all the length wire creases had to be ironed in the same
direction. I think of that yet today when ironing my tablecloth."
L-R: Miss Thompson, Dr. Jones, Miss Hill, Miss Davis
"Making the baby dress by hand in Miss Wilson's class was another memorable moment. We worked long hours, some times at
night, and we often saw bats flying around the upper floors in Old Main."
"I will never forget the encouragement of Miss Hill and Dr. Jones and all the wonderful teachers I had throughout my
years at Stevens Point."
L-R: Nancy Coon, Eileen Niemuth, Carol Brown, Audrey Gerbyshah, Nona Smith
"In the 1970's, I went back and got my Master's Degree as Mrs. Roberts. My first husband died in 1968 and I remarried in
1972."
"I taught Home Economics at Wausaukee, West Field, Tomah, and then one year in Elroy and 8 years in Lena."
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Click on Thumbnail for larger image and description
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Eileen (Niemuth) Hoehne in kitchen at the Home Management House
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Foods Lab
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Foods Lab demonstration
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Home Management Kitchen
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Home Management Dining Room
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