Bio: Mathewson, Virginia – Retirement Party (May 1978)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Mathewson, Bartesk, Wenzel, Moore, Tieman, Briski, Borchart, Laube, Klapatauskas, Niemi, Mook, Karaba, Nelson, Fritsch, Thompson, Schneider

----Source: Owen Enterprise (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 17 May1978

Last Friday evening May 12, 1978, a Retirement Party was held at Meadowview Country Club honoring Virginia Mathewson for her twenty-eight years of dedicated teaching. She has been teaching 4th grade in the Owen Elementary School for the past twenty-five years.

The party was attended by a large number of active and retired teachers, members of the school board, and administrator Noel Bartesk gave a prayer for dinner, which was served at 7 p.m. A program followed hosted by Phyllis Wenzel as Master of Ceremonies. She welcomed the guests and introduced Virginia’s family: Frank and Carol (Mathewson) Moore of Brillion, Wisconsin, and Judy and Jeff Mathewson of Franklin, Wisconsin were here to share this special occasion with their mother.

Myrtice Tieman read an interesting personal tribute to the guest of honor, tracing her life from childhood to the present. She closed with the poem, “The Builder”, which brings out the thought that while the work of other builders will crumble in time, the work of a teacher will live forever in the life and soul of a child.

Then John Briski, one of Virginia’s co-workers, read a professional tribute in which he mentioned the qualities which have made her an outstanding teacher.

A group of girls under Joanne Borchart’s direction sang several songs, accompanied on the guitar by Mary Kay Laube. The group also included Denise Klapatauskas, Beth Niemi, Helen Mook, and Peggy Karaba. The audience joined them in two selections and thoroughly enjoyed their performance.

Mr. Gerald Nelson, Elementary Principal and a former principal, Mr. Myron Fritsch made timely and humorous remarks and gave Virginia some works of advice for her retirement.

Terry Thompson, President of the Owen-Withee Board of Education, presented the guest of honor with an engraved plaque. He also read a letter of appreciation from Mr. Donald Schneider, District Administrator, for Mrs. Mathewson’s dedicated service to the Owen-Withee Public School. Mr. and Mrs. Schneider were unable to be present because they were attending graduation exercises for their son, David, at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.