Ruth Colton Lewis
Character: Unforgettable People of Woodstock > Ruth Colton Lewis
“Dedicated Teacher & Community Member”
(1917-2009)
Those who knew Ruth Colton Lewis as an adult knew a hard-working and devoted teacher. They likely never knew the other side of Ruth who, as a little girl, had a wild side and a taste for speed.
Ruth would eventually get her license, and she would also attend Castleton’s teacher training program. In the spring of 1940, after graduating from Castleton, Ruth had lined up a job to teach in a one-room school in Granville, Vermont. That summer, Ruth’s father died unexpectedly. Ruth’s mother’s health deteriorated, and Ruth stayed home to take care of her, while Ruth’s brother ran the family farm. That fall Ruth went to teach at Granville, but returned home every weekend to help out. In Granville, she boarded with a young couple. Ruth described her accommodations as adequate. “There were electric lights, but no bathroom. The outdoor privy was not too far from the house. My room was at the end of the upstairs hall and had no door, only a thin cotton curtain at the door for privacy.”
Ruth Colton grew up on a farm in Pittsfield, Vermont. She loved to share stories, and the stories that she told
about herself often started with the words “I was a dear little girl, but some-times I forgot...” In her memoirs, she detailed some of her earliest recollections, including ones about her first driving experiences.
“I was probably twelve or thirteen and fascinated with cars. I was sure I could drive a car if only the opportunity arose. One hot summer day, I spied my Uncle Azro’s old Dodge Touring Car beside the meadow across from our house. On investigating, I found the keys were in the car. This seemed like a golden opportunity to try out my driving skills. I had no trouble starting the car. Gradually I steered it around the meadow. The second time around I went faster and faster. The doors flew open and banged loudly and merrily....Then across the road on the front porch stood my mother frantically waving her hands and yelling. By this time my driving skills had really gone to my head or common sense would have warned me not to do what I did. I slowed down a little and yelled, “Would you like a ride, Madam?” Eventually I stopped. You can guess the consequences; I didn’t get near to driving a car for many, many years. ”
While this was her first encounter with driving a car, it was not her last. Ruth had several other incidents throughout her teenage years where her enthusiasm to teach herself to drive was not shared by her parents.
Ruth Colton married Frank George Lewis in 1942. After her marriage, she continued to teach and work in education until she was in her early seventies, finally retiring in 1990, after fifty years of working as an educator.
At the Granville School, Ruth was able to enrich the lives of her students by exposing them to new ideas and experiences. For instance, Ruth, who was not a musician herself, discovered that one of her students had an interest in music. When Ruth went to a teacher’s convention, she purchased the girl a beginner’s piano book and endeavored to teach her music on the school piano. Many years later, Ruth received a call from the girl, now a grown woman, who wanted to let Ruth know how much her help had meant and how much she had enjoyed music throughout her life.
Ruth Colton in 1919, at approximately age 2.
Ruth and her brother on family farm in North Sherburne, Vermont.
Ruth’s uncle with his car. Ruth and her younger brother are in the rumbleseat.
Eventually Ruth became a teacher in Woodstock. She encouraged students to bring things from home to share as a way of making the classroom come alive for her students. One time she was able to do that literally as well as figuratively. When Dick Roy was in fifth grade, he found a huge wasp hive in a tree. It was in the winter, and the hive seemed deserted, so he cut it down and took it to school. Ruth placed the hive prominently on display so that she could base the day’s lesson around it. The children went out to recess, and when they returned, they found the classroom swarming with wasps. The wasps, which had been dormant for the winter, had awakened in the warm room. The classroom had to be emptied. Charlie Raymond, who for many years served as a janitor at the school, came to the rescue, removing both the uninvited guests and the hive from the classroom.
Ruth and husband, Frank Lewis
Ruth and her dog
In addition to her long career as a professional educator, Mrs. Lewis was also a member of King’s Daughters, Daughters of the American Revolution, Delta Kappa Gamma, the Prosper Homemakers, the Eastern Star, the Universalist Social Group, and the Swift Water Girl Scout Council. While as a child Ruth may have been known for her fearless spirit and taste for speed, as an adult, she is remembered as a dedicated teacher, caring neighbor and a devoted mother and grandmother.