The four will be missed

After this year, four matriarchs in the school district will be cuddling grandkids, snow birding, and beach combing. All four have left their marks on the youth of the area, and as the youth turn into adults they will take the lessons learned from these four and apply it to their lives. So let’s take a look at the four as they ride into the sunset.

Kathy Proctor: Her business instincts and instruction go way back at Lake Roosevelt. She even taught me once, and many of you also. She is ingrained in the Raider Wrestling Program and in local rodeo. She must know what she is doing, too, because she also raised a world champion bull rider. She raised her kids with her husband here in Coulee Country and they are successful in their different arenas. There is so much that Mrs. Proctor is a part of that there is not enough room in the paper to cover it all. Regardless of all that, she will leave a gaping hole in the school district that will probably take many teachers to fill. Happy Trails, Mrs. Proctor, until we meet again.

Donna Totman: If ever there was a smell to be missed around the building, then it is the foods class cooking. Mrs. Totman is their leader. With phrases like, “Honey, Sugar Pie,” “Darling” and “Isn’t that special,” all said in her sweet southern charm, she is a hard worker with lots of energy that instilled proper etiquette and charm into her classroom. Sewing, health, cooking and nutrition all became the standards, and it would not be strange to see students taking her classes as many times as they could. Not only will the aroma of the food be missed, but the no-nonsense charm that followed her will be missed in the halls as well.

Patty Neddo: She loves kids. Plain and simple. A lot of the lifers in Coulee Country have either been in her daycare or took kids to her. When that became too much for her, the logical play for her was to follow the kids again and go to school with them. She raised her own kids here too, and she uses those same skills in the classroom daily. Using historically important pieces and learning at the same time the kids do, she is loved by all who come around her. She uses her experiences in life to encourage those around her.

Nancy Johnson: Quietly behind the scenes for many years, this lady made the schedules at LR click and work. Part counselor, part secretary, part everything, she molded schedules and classrooms and helped kids with every problem that might arise. She endured the frequent turnover and proved over and over again that she was needed here at LR more than we will ever know. Kids came to her and she fixed things. Staff came to her and she fixed things. Parents came to her and she fixed things. Her impact here will never be measured for sure, but those who know her heart and her work ethic have seen it every day, and we know she left a mark deep on us all.

So goodbye ladies, you will be missed. Enjoy the grandkids and the rodeos and the road trips. They are well deserved. Oh, one more thing. GO RAIDERS!