Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
Nebraska teacher Stephanie J. Keller succumbs to Covid-19
Sadly, we report that Special Education teacher Stephanie J. Keller of Papillion, Nebraska, has succumbed to Covid-19. Photo credit: Tribute Archives.
We are sad to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Stephanie J. Keller of Papillion, Nebraska, succumbed to the disease on April 5, 2021.
Stephanie was born on September 7, 1981, in Sioux City, Iowa. She attended East High School, where she participated in band and choir. These activities gave her the opportunity to indulge in her love for travel. Following her high school graduation in 2000, she attended Morningside College in her home town of Soiux City. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education. While at Morningside, Stephanie was crowned Homecoming Queen in 2003. In college, she spent her summers working at Camp Foster in Okobjoki, Iowa. Later she earned her Master’s degree from Wayne State College located in Wayne, Nebraska.
Once she completed the requirements for her Bachelor’s degree, Stephanie accepted her first teaching position at South Sioux City Schools, where she remained for eight years. In 2011, Stephanie married Kevin Keller. The couple moved to Papillion, Nebraska, where the experienced educator accepted a position as a Special Education teacher at G. Stanley Hall Elementary School. Stephanie and her husband also became foster parents to six children.
Unfortunately, the beloved educator contracted Covid-19, and succumbed to the disease on April 5, 2021. She was just 39 years old. Read her obituary at this link to Tribute Archive.
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Nicole Butler-Hooton: Oregon’s 2021 Teacher of the Year
Elementary school teacher Nicole Butler-Hooton from Bethel, Oregon, has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: The Oregonian.
I truly enjoy sharing stories about educators who have earned accolades for their exemplary work in the classroom. One of these is Nicole Butler-Hooton, an elementary school teacher from Bethel, Oregon, who has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.
Nicole is a member of the Siletz and Apache Native American tribes. She was raised in a small coastal town in her home state. Upon graduation from high school, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with a minor in Ethnic Studies from the University of Oregon. While there, she was awarded the Sapsik’ʷałá grant, designed to assist Native American students to achieve their goal of earning a Master’s Degree in Education.
Once she completed the requirements for her Master’s degree, Nicole accepted a position as a second grade teacher at Irving Elementary in Bethel. Her career there has spanned 14 years. Nicole has a reputation for creating a vibrant, inclusive, and culturally-responsive teaching style. Nicole has an almost instinctive appreciation of diversity and inclusion in the classroom. “I think in order to teach a child, you have to know the child, and I think that that comes with being consistent and loving and kind,” asserts Nicole. “I think understanding that each child has a unique circumstance, remembering that all students deserve respect and attention is key, and it’s up to us teachers to go the extra mile to be able to give that,” she continues.
For her work in the classroom, Nicole has been selected Oregon’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. She is the first Native American to be so honored. She has also been named a Eugene/Springfield representative for the Oregon Indian Educator Association. She mentors and coaches student teachers and colleagues.
To read more about this remarkable educator, see her story published by The Oregonian.
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Wisconsin’s George Nelson Tremper: Educator extraordinaire
George Nelson Tremper was an outstanding teacher and principal in the early 20th century Kenosha, Wisconsin. Photo credit: Kenosha Unified School District.
Throughout our country’s history, there are many stories of exemplary educators that have also become school leaders in the early 20th century. One of these is George Nelson Tremper, a high school teacher from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who also served his school as an outstanding principal.
George Nelson Tremper was born in Pontiac Michigan on May 30, 1877. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan in 1901. George was a master of languages, especially Greek, Latin, and German.
George and his wife, Metta, taught for three years in the Philippines. When he returned to the United States, he taught in Franklin, Indiana. Later he became the principal in a high school in Cincinnati, Ohio. During these years, George He also taught at the University of Illinois School of Education. In addition, by 1911 he completed the courses that earned him his Master’s degree.
In 1911 he returned to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he was a teacher and an administrator at Kenosha’s Bradford High School from 1911 until 1944. When George was appointed principal, the school boasted a staff of 13 teachers and 300 students.
In addition to his work as an educator, George served as the President of the Council of the Kenosha Chapter of DeMolay. He was also a commissioner of the Boy Schouts and a member of the Kenosha County Historical Society, President of the Wisconsin Society, and he was active in the Sons of the Revolution. He was County chairman of the Citizens Military Training Corps, he was active in both the Rotary Club and the Elks Club, and he was Chairman of the Kenosha County Civilian Aid Committee.
Alas, this Chalkboard Champion passed away on February 23, 1958. In 1964, a new public high school built in Kenosha was named in his honor. To read more about George, see this article about him published online by communityworldheritage.org.
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Maria Fearing: Intrepid teacher and missionary of the Congo
Maria Fearing: The intrepid teacher and missionary, born into slavery, who traveled to the Congo to teach at a home for girls. Photo credit: Alabama Department of Archives and History.
There are many stories of dedicated educators who can boast of extraordinary accomplishments. One of these is Maria Fearing, an African American teacher and missionary who was born into slavery but went on to become a beloved teacher in the Congo.
Maria was born on July 26, 1938, on a plantation near Gainesville, Sumter County, Alabama. As a youngster, she was employed as a house servant, spending much of her time with her mistress and the other children. Maria completed the ninth grade, but didn’t really learn to read and write until she was 33 years old.
When the Civil War was won, Maria worked her way through the Freedman’s Bureau School in Talladega, Alabama, to become a teacher. This school is now known as Talladega College. The neophyte educator taught for a number of years in rural schools in Calhoun County in Alabama. But in 1894, at age 56, Maria was inspired to travel to the Congo on the African continent, where for more than 20 years she worked tirelessly as a teacher and Presbyterian missionary. While there, Maria established the Pantops Home for Girls in 1915. Pantops took in girls who had been orphaned and those who had been kidnapped and sold into slavery. The intrepid teacher used trinkets, tools, and even salt to barter for the freedom of these girls. She taught reading, writing, arithmetic, homemaking skills, and gardening in the mission day school, and she worked with the women of the surrounding villages. Her appreciative students nicknamed her “mama wa mputu” (“Mother from Far Away”).
At the age of 78, because of failing health, Maria was encouraged to retire. In 1918, the Southern Presbyterian Church recognized her many years of dedication and hard work by honoring her with the Loving Cup. Maria wasn’t ready to quit working, though. After returning to her native Alabama, she continued to teach, working at a church school in Selma, Alabama. She later returned to Sumter County, where she passed away on May 23, 1937. She was 100 years old.
Maria Fearing, a true Chalkboard Champion, was inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame in 2000. You can read more about this amazing teacher at Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame.
