Laverne’s ‘last hurrah’
Bob Hendriks first met Laverne Wilson when the two young teachers were stuck ona muddy road, late one night, after a dance in the Spring Park district, many years ago. Ed Smuk remembers the late 1950s, when he and Wilson used to play practical jokes on Heinsburg School’s janitor, the late Harry Jenner. Lois Nichols remembers when Wilson was the bride in a mock wedding, close to 25 years ago.
It seemed like almost every member of the capacity crowd in attendance at last Friday’s retirement celebration for former Heinsburg School Principal Laverne Wilson had some warm, funny or poignant story to tell about this stalwart man, who not only taught school in the same community for 36 years, but drove the school bus, supported the Community Club, and was a good friend to all. A large display of photos showed Wilson at work and play over the years.
Wilson has touched many lives over the years. Lana MacDonald of Northlands School Division presented a plaque honoring his work and dedication to the students from that area. Gwen Nelson of the North East Alberta Retired Teachers Association recalled Wilson as one of the winners of a “Heart of Gold” award in January 1989, which recognized community involvement. Jim Hawkins, representing the County of St. Paul Principals’ Association and Elk Point and District Further Education, recognized his contributions to those groups.
“Babe” Sharkey presented Wilson with an engraved bell and a clock on behalf of the Heinsburg Community Club, along with another bell and a watch from Sharkey’s Buslines. Sharkey later told some ‘tales out of school’ on Wilson, such as the day he sunk Sharkey’s new bus in a slough, and the day Sharkey lost him out of the back of the pickup truck.
County Councillor Bob Smith said Heinsburg became known as “Mr. Wilson’s school,” where the popular principal received standing ovations at Graduation time. This past Grad, Wilson was recalled as “the Friendly Giant at the end of the hall’’ by a member of the Class of 93.
The school’s “terrible two,” new Principal Lorne Young and school secretary Marie Zayac, hauled out a huge box of artifacts they said were left behind by Wilson - everything from a Rubik’s cube to a dozen watches to a large pair of sneakers, which Young admits are “tough shoes to fill.” The two agreed that “Laverne has left a little bit of himself behind in all of us.” before they presented the community involvement award from Awards Night.
Former student Kari Barstad said Wilson, as a teacher “was easy to distract” but nonetheless “he was our hero. I hope, when I am a teacher, my students will look up to me like we did to him.” George Sanders was in Grade 1 when Wilson was one of the big kids in school, and later was his student in Grades 6 to 8. “He had long arms and liked to grab us by the ear” for misbehavior. Former coworker Margaret Nelson remembered ‘team teaching’ with Wilson, who combined his Phys Ed classes with her music classes. Mike Bracken, who started teaching at Heinsburg just last year, was glad he had had the opportunity to have Wilson as his principal.
The glowing testimonials were interspersed with entertainment by Audrey Rainey and Daleen Gunderson, both fine vocalists from the area. Some were disappointed, however, that the rumored tap dance routine by Charlie Thomson did not materialize.
Then it was Wilson’s turn at the mike. He looked back at his life, with 50 of the 57 years spent in school, either as a student or a teacher. Born in Camrose, he first came to Heinsburg as a Grade 1 student, later spending two years in Elk Point and a brief time in Mallaig before coming back to Heinsburg, where he remained ever since, leaving only to go to Ashmont to high school and to university for a year to get his teacher’s qualification. He’s been teaching here ever since. Back in his first year of teaching, ‘Babe’ Sharkey’s father suggested he drive school bus as well, to help pay the bills. ““Now I’m on pension and history is repeating itself - I’m driving bus for Babe!”
Wilson had kind words to say in reply to each of the earlier speakers. He also thanked all his former students for coming back for the occasion, and thanked two generations of parents for their support over the years.
Congratulations on Your Retirement!
