Tag Archives: Home Economics Teachers

Missouri Home Ec teacher Bonnie Leman inducted into Quilters Hall of Fame

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Home Economics teacher Bonnie Leman of Missouri was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame. Photo credit: Quilters Hall of Fame

Many outstanding educators also earn a name for themselves in fields outside the classroom. This is certainly the case with Bonnie Leman, a teacher from Missouri who has been inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame.

Bonnie was born on Sept. 28, 1926, in Purdin, Missouri. When she was only 16 years old, she enrolled at Park University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Home Economics with a Minor in English in 1947. After earning her degree, she inaugurated her career as a teacher of English and Home Economics at the junior high level in Shannon City, Iowa. Later she relocated to Abilene, Kansas, where she taught school.

In 1953, Bonnie left Kansas to move to Colorado, where she earned her teaching credential from the University of Denver.  While studying there, she met George, a fellow graduate student, and the two were married. The couple raised seven children together.

By 1969, Bonnie had left the classroom to pursue a career in publishing. She founded Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, the first publication to celebrate the following art to be published in the United States. In fact, she is credited with reviving and fostering an appreciation for the art form. Eventually her readership grew to more than 200,000 subscribers in over 100 countries. She wrote and published numerous books about the making of quilts. In 1982, this accomplished former teacher was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame. In 1994, she was honored with the first Silver Star Award from Quilts, Inc., the parent company of the International Quilt Festival and Quilt Market.

Bonnie Lehman passed away on Sept. 4, 2010, in Arvada, Colorado. She was 83 years old. To read more about her accomplishments, click on this link to an online article about her published by The Quilters Hall of Fame.

US Rep and Home Ec teacher Elizabeth Andrews

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Former high school Home Economics teacher Elizabeth Andrews was the first woman to represent Alabama in the US House of Representatives. Photo credit: Encyclopedia of Alabama

Many talented educators also distinguish themselves in the political arena. One such educator is Elizabeth Andrews, a high school Home Economics teacher who became the first woman to represent Alabama in the US House of Representatives.

Elizabeth was born on February 12, 1911, in Geneva, Alabama.  After she graduated from high school, she enrolled at Montevallo College, now known as the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Home Economics in 1932.

The neophyte educator inaugurated her career at a high school in Livingston, Alabama. During the Great Depression, she relocated to a teaching position in Union Springs to earn more money.

When Elizabeth’s husband, George William Andrews, ran for office in the 78th US Congress, she worked tirelessly for his campaign. He won the election, and was re-elected 13 times. When her husband passed away in 1971, Elizabeth ran on the Democratic ticket unopposed for his position representing the 3rd Congressional District. When she won the election, she became the first woman to represent her state in the US Congress until the next one was elected in 2010.

While in office, Elizabeth served on the Committee for Post Office and Civil Service. She introduced legislation to protect benefits for Social Security and health care. She also threw her energy into funding research centers working for cures for cancer and heart disease. She sponsored legislation to designate Tuskegee University a National Historic Site. In addition, she supported withdrawal from the VietNam conflict.

Elizabeth retired from politics in 1973. She moved to Union Springs, Alabama, and became engrossed in local community affairs.

This Chalkboard Champion passed away on December 2, 2002, in Birmingham, Alabama. She was nearly 92 years old. She was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Union Springs.

To read more about Elizabeth Andrews, see this article about her in the Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Making Waves with Colorado’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year

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A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about educator Jessica May. She was named the 2024 Colorado State Teacher of the Year. Today I stumbled across this video of her, and I thought it was so inspiring that I wanted to highlight this amazing teacher again. Jessica teaches courses in family and consumer sciences at Turner Middle School in Berthoud, Colorado. Her curriculum is focused not only on cooking and sewing, but also on self-care, social emotional learning, life skills (including personal finances), child development, and school to career. Here is the video:

Home Ec teacher Ashley Nudell named a finalist for 2025 ND State Teacher of the Year

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North Dakota teacher Ashley Nudell has been named the 2024 Teacher of the Year for Ransom County, and one of four finalists for her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: North Dakota United

Just about every woman in my age group remembers taking a course in Home Economics in junior high and high school. Although these classes are no longer required, there are still many teachers who instruct these courses. One of these teachers, Ashley Nudell of North Dakota, has earned recognition for her effort. She has been named the 2024 Teacher of the Year for Ransom County and one of four finalists for her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.

Ashley teaches Family and Consumer Science to students in grades 9—12 at Lisbon High School in Lisbon, North Dakota. The courses she instructs include Child Development, Food and Nutrition, Independent Living, and Cultures and Cuisines. In addition, the honored educator serves as an advisor to her school’s chapter of FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America).

In her classroom, Ashley declares that her professional goal is to empower students to make wise decisions about health and finances, and to develop practical skills needed for lifelong success. She does this by fostering a supportive and inclusive classroom environment.

Ashley earned her Bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Science Education from North Dakota State University in 2019. She earned her Master’s degree in Family and Consumer Science from North Dakota State University in 2023.

“Across our state, in rural areas and larger communities alike, our teachers bring their skills, compassion and dedication to their North Dakota classrooms,” asserted North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler. “These finalists are exemplars of the outstanding teachers we are fortunate to have across North Dakota,” Baesler continued. “Our educators deserve our appreciation, respect, and admiration for the work they do with our young people,” she concluded.

Patricia Roppel, Alaska Home Ec teacher, historian, and author

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Alaska home economics teacher Patricia Roppel also earned fame as a historian and author. Photo Credit: SitNews.

Many excellent classroom teachers earn recognition for endeavors outside of the classroom. One of these is Patricia Roppel, a home economics teacher from Alaska who also earned fame as a historian and author.

Patricia was born April 5, 1938, in Ellensburg, Washington. As a young woman, she earned her degree in Home Economics from Oregon State University. As a young co-ed, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority. Patricia moved to Alaska in 1959, where she accepted a position as a home economics teacher at Ketchikan High School. She taught there until 1965.

In March of 1965, Patricia published her first article in the Alaska Sportsman. Over the next 50 years, she published 13 books and more than 100 articles about the history of southeast Alaska. In her writings, she expertly described the industries of the region, including mining, salmon fishing, hatcheries, and canning. For this work, she was honored as Alaska Historian of the Year in both 1978 and 2006.

In 1975, Alaska Governor Jay Hammond appointed the veteran educator to his newly-formed Alaska Historical Commission. She served on this body until 1983. Among the Commission’s tasks was the writing of a new high school textbook about the history of the state. In 1991, the former teacher was appointed by Governor Wally Hickel to the Alaska Humanities Forum, a position she held until 1996. In 2003, Patricia was once again named to the Alaska Historical Commission by Governor Tony Knowles. She served in this role until 2015. In addition, Patricia was one of the founding board members of Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture (SSRA).

Sadly, Patricia passed away from cancer in Bellevue, Washington, on January 6, 2015. You can read more about her in her obituary, published by SitNews.