The Teacher's Funeral: Chapters 5–7

by Richard Peck
Teenager Russell Culver's dreams of no more school and leaving his tiny farming town seem to be within reach when the schoolhouse teacher dies right before the school year begins! To his surprise, however, his older sister, Tansy, becomes the new teacher…and gradually life begins to change.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–7, Chapters 8–9, Chapters 10–13, Chapters 14–17
15 words 17 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. widower
    a man whose wife is dead, especially if not remarried
    When he was a widower, Dad asked Aunt Maud to be his wife, to give us kids a mother.
  2. spinster
    an elderly unmarried woman
    But she said she was nothing but a nervous spinster, and she didn’t think marriage would calm her.
  3. pallbearer
    one of the mourners carrying the coffin at a funeral
    Doc Wilkinson was one of the pallbearers.
  4. recollect
    recall knowledge from memory
    “How many in this particular House of the Lord recollect the old schoolhouse that Hominy Ridge School replaced?”
  5. robust
    sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction
    "But she was a great big robust woman.”
  6. diagnosis
    identifying the nature or cause of some phenomenon
    Doc Wilkinson tells me her poor heart just give out, and that’s the scientific diagnosis.
  7. humility
    a lack of arrogance or false pride
    “Without shame, there is no humility!”
  8. woe
    misery resulting from affliction
    "They are the authors of this woe!"
  9. intone
    recite musically; recite as a chant or a psalm
    Clearing his throat, Preacher Parr intoned:
  10. reverential
    feeling or manifesting profound respect or awe
    A reverential silence lingered.
  11. askew
    turned or twisted toward one side
    Tansy’s hat with the funeral ribbon was still on her head because of the hatpins, but askew, and ruined.
  12. pneumatic
    relating to or using air or a similar gas
    “You don’t mean to tell me you come from Terre Haute in that thing today.” Dad touched a tire. A pneumatic tire.
  13. tarry
    stay longer than you should
    We went to milk, but didn’t tarry.
  14. rostrum
    a platform raised above the surrounding level
    On a platform called the rostrum was Miss Myrt’s – teacher’s – desk.
  15. burgeon
    grow and flourish
    The hedges burgeoned, and the fields were heavy with bounty.
Created on Wed Jan 14 18:27:46 EST 2026 (updated Tue Mar 03 12:07:19 EST 2026)

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