Louise Penner
 |
2018
Louise Penner
Friend of Education
Louise Reimer Penner, class of 1937, lived a life dedicated to education. After graduating from Beatrice High School and completing Normal School Training at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln she began teaching in a one-room schoolhouse near Beatrice. At this time there were over 150 one-room schoolhouses in Gage County. She stayed with a family that lived close to the school and walked each morning to school to start the fire and begin here classwork. She taught subjects ranging from Civil Government to English Composition to Orthography.
She taught in several rural schools until she received a contract from Holmesville Elementary School. Like many women of her generation, she taught until she married. After marrying and having her own children she used her teaching talents to teach Sunday School at Vacation Bible School for many years.
Later she was hired by Beatrice Public Schools as a study hall monitor. During her ten years in this position, she earned the name "Mom" Penner. This study hall was an informal place where students could go to visit and study. "Mom" Penner was a friend of many of the students, helping them with homework and listening to some that struggled with adolescent issues.
She is representative of all those individuals that chose to begin their teaching careers in one-room schools and used those skills throughout their lives to better the lives of young people.
After her retirement, Louise and her husband continued to support Beatrice Public Schools by attending and supporting financially many athletic and academic programs.