She arrived at school so early she beat the morning janitor to work. She was the model to whom many turned, to learn how to teach kindergartners.
Talking about Elouise Miller, the rock star of longevity in teaching 5- and 6-year-olds, is easy for anyone who knew her.
This weekend was no different as people remembered the 84-year-old teaching legend who taught elementary school children for 60 years, and more than 50 in one building — at Lincoln Elementary School in Hays, a fixture in the first-grade and kindergarten classrooms.
Miller, 84, died Friday after a second bout with cancer. Her funeral services are set for 11 a.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church, Hays.
One of Miller’s favorite sayings was an excerpt from Robert Fulghum’s book, “All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten.”
Diane Frantz, a kindergarten teacher at Lincoln for 19 years from 1984 to 2003, said a lot of what she needed to know about teaching kindergarten, she learned from Miller.
“I could go on for days and days talking about what I learned from Elouise,” Frantz said. “I guess I could compare it to the depth of the ocean.”
Frantz, who now teaches kindergarten in the Phillipsburg school district, said nearly every day she thinks about something she learned from Miller.
“She had a natural ability to manage her students in a respectful, gentle and calm way,” Frantz said. “There were no discipline issues in her class.”
Frantz said Miller not only taught her students life skills, but her advice was heeded by adults as well.
“ ‘Be a role model, not only for your students, but for your school, family and community,’ ” Frantz said, quoting some of Miller’s philosophies. “ ‘Volunteer in your school and community when needed. And, eat lots of chocolate.’ Anyone who knew Elouise knew she loved chocolate.”
When she said teaching was her life, Miller wasn’t kidding. She never married. When she retired in 2009 at age 78, she said a marriage never would have worked because “I’m (at school) all the time.”
“She was so dedicated, she was always there before I got there at 7 every morning,” said Randy Pfannenstiel, custodian at Lincoln.
It wasn’t until after Miller retired that Pfannenstiel arrived at Lincoln in the mornings before Miller. But Miller continued to frequent Lincoln, and it was almost like she never left.
“She was always there,” said Kathy Clark, school nurse at Lincoln for 22 years before retiring in 2013. “She would come back to do recess duty, just to visit.”
“Oh, yeah, and everybody loved seeing Elouise. She was always so positive about everything,” said Elaine Rohleder, principal at Lincoln since 2000. “She would stop in every so often, to visit and reminisce.”
Now, friends and former colleagues are left to reminisce about Miller.
“She was a mentor for all of us,” Clark said, “not only for education, but for a lifestyle, caring about kids, people in general.”
Frantz agreed.
“Elouise and I had a unique bond, even after leaving Hays,” she said. “She continued to give me great advice about teaching kindergarten and life in general. I can truly say she was my best friend and will be missed by many.”