”The first lady teacher we had in the district was Dora Downing. She taught a splendid school, and being an expert musician, taught numerous classes in music. She had a musical instrument of the melodian family, that was called a seraphine, and she gave her scholars a party and a musical at the close of the term. Dora was a sister of Fred Downing, and later became Mrs. H. L. Ware, the mother of Mrs. E. A. Dawson.”

Reference Data:

Pioneer Days of Bremer County, Iowa, 1918, page 141