McKenney Intermediate

Anna L. McKenney was born in 1867 in Canada, and came to America in 1879 at the age of 12. She was a teacher in Wheatland and then joined the Marysville school system in 1889 when she was 21 years old, and spent 52 years educating students of Marysville before her retirement at the age of 73. During those 52 years she taught three generations of Marysville residents, making the total of students that she taught 2,917. Her salary as a teacher was $70 a week. She was an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She was also the secretary of the Marysville Chapter for 50 years. In 1918 she ran for the Superintendent of Schools. In the Appeal-Democrat she stated some of her reasons for running. She said that, "It has been my aim to keep in touch with the best education and progressive thought, and I feel that my experience, my study, and my sympathy, with the work will help me accomplish some good for the schools of this county." She also believed that "We must have subjects which will best prepare our children for home life, for patriotic citizenship, and for making a living." She felt that the schools should offer more extracurricular activities. She wrote that, "Steps should be taken to encourage the introduction into our schools of sewing, gardening, and agriculture work, manual and physical training, and more music." In 1924 she was Grand Martha and in 1928 she was Grand Treasurer for the California Grand Chapter.

W.T. Ellis said that,  "When I graduated from the Senior Class in the 3rd year the class consisted of three girls, Anna Mckenney, Laura Bordwell, and Della Parks, and myself, the only boy. Anna Mckenney was voted the brightest scholar in the high school and I well remember that I would not have passed the written examination for graduation had it not been for the fact that Anna sat at the next desk to me and surreptitiously gave me the correct answers to some of the written examination questions which I was "stumped on." (Ellis Memories by W.T. Ellis pg. 11)

 In 1959 at the age of 92 Anna L. McKenney died, leaving the school named after her and a lifelong devotion to education.

 

Written By
Eliza Carr
7th Grade Student
Anna L. McKenney Intermediate School
February 2010