Part VI - Elementary Schools in the Neighborhood

St. Paul Lutheran, St. Mary's Catholic, & Riverdale Branch 

The above-named schools were basically the only three elementary schools anyone in our neighborhood attended.

Quite a few of the kids on our street attended St. Paul Lutheran - which was located on the south side of 138th. Street - making it technically in the suburb of Dolton.  My dad went to school there from middle grades through 8th. grade.  In fact, one of his teachers, who also was mine, was Mr. Bernahl.  He taught 3rd. and 4th. grades and died the year I was in the 4th. grade. My mom and dad were married in the church as was my sister Donna.  Both Donna and I were baptized, attended there through the 8th. grade, and were confirmed there as well.

I only recall one of my neighborhood pals going to St. Mary's and that was Jackie Mongeau, who lived across the street from me.  We often played wiffleball on the side street (Forest Ave.) next to our house.  We traded baseball cards and quizzed each other on player stats printed on the backside of the card.

A few of the other kids on the block went to a school called "Riverdale Branch".  It was a Chicago Public School and located on 133rd. Street - just east of Indiana Avenue.  It was on north of the Little Calumet River and therefore was labeled the "north side" by those of us who lived on the "south side" of the river.  It was a "branch" of some other Chicago Public School - my guess would be Pullman, but I am very unsure of that.  More on Riverdale Branch in another blog.