By Mary Grieco
Catholic Herald correspondent

Teacher, secretary to retire in Rhinelander

RHINELANDER -- With a combined total of 51 years dedicated to Catholic schools in Rhinelander, Bev Burke, south campus secretary at Nativity of Our Lord School, and Pat Larson, first grade teacher, have decided to begin enjoying retirement.

Burke remembers answering an ad in the church bulletin 27 years ago, and she turned out to be a perfect fit for the job. In all, Burke worked for five principals, and in recent years she began to see the children of former students enrolled at Nativity School.

Her job took on different roles over the years, and "you just went with the flow," she said. But there was one common denominator: "I always enjoyed the kids." And she knew them each by name.

Whether she was tending to a skinned knee or drying a tear, she knew how to calm fears and make the kids feel comfortable in their home away from home.

Burke, however, remembers learning one valuable lesson when talking with students who got sick during the school day. "You had to be careful how you phrased questions," she noted. "I remember asking one boy if he felt like he wanted to go home, and he said, 'I always feel like going home.'"

Now Burke will be spending more time at home with her husband, Rick, who retired three years ago. She'll also be more available to the rest of her family, which includes two daughters, Shelley and Tracy, and three grandchildren. Burke has no intention of being bored in retirement. "There are always volunteer opportunities, and I'd like to do more traveling and take some classes," she said.

Hundreds of first graders have learned the four Rs--reading, (w)riting, 'rithmatic and religion--from Larson during her 24 years of teaching in Rhinelander.

During her college days at St. Norbert, in De Pere, Wis., she admits that she wasn't sure she wanted to be a teacher, but once she tried it, "I was hooked, especially on first grade," she said.

Seeing her students learn to read was particularly gratifying. "I call reading the miracle of the mind," she said. "When you see the light bulbs go on and see them love to read, that is what ignites you.

"Teaching at Nativity has been a gift," Larson continued. "We have the opportunity to share our faith and help our children grow educationally, emotionally and spiritually. "I've had the privilege of working with many wonderful and supportive families, and the staff is very talented and supportive, always looking at ways to help children reach their potential." Larson had many memorable experiences over the years, lots of them humorous. One of the most memorable was the day that a friend played a birthday prank and sent someone dressed in a gorilla suit to school. The creature arrived just as Larson was rehearsing the annual passion play with her class.

"The gorilla picked me up, and the kids were in shock," she remembered. "But then they realized it was a joke and got hysterical."

Although Larson will miss the students, she'll now have more time to spend with her three adult children, Kevin, Ann and J.P., and her five grandchildren. She and her husband, John, also plan to do some traveling. "And there are always my flowers and volunteer opportunities, and maybe I'll take up more hobbies," Larson said. "I won't be at a loss for things to do."

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2008