I would appreciate you including this in the next newsletter - Mrs. Struble had a
wonderful influence on a lot of Ames students during her many years there.
Beth Struble Elder, beloved Ames elementary school teacher, passed away on
June 5, 2006, in Mason City, Iowa at the age of 94. Mrs. Elder received her
teaching certificate from the State Teachers College (University of Northern
Iowa in 1931. Her first teaching position was in Elementary School. In
1951 she became the first principal of Meeker School. She moved to Hot
Springs, AK in 1952 to care for her aging father, and returned to Ames
in 1955 where she taught in the elementary grades for the next 10 years.
During that time, she continued her education, receiving her Bachelors
degree from Drake University in 1959. In 1966 she married Don Elder and
moved to mason City, IA. Her daughters, Mary Jean Struble Peters
(Class of '53) and Margaret Ann Struble Norris (Class of '57) both
graduated from Ames High School.
Web editors note: Mrs. Struble was my 4th grade teacher at Meeker Elementary school from 1965 to 1966. Thank
you, Judy, for letting us know about Mrs. Beth Struble Elder. Below are some scanned photos of Mrs. Struble's
4th grade class most likely taken in the Fall of 1965, outside on the North side of Meeker Elementary School.