Two years ago, I saw a post from Shari about a former Elementary School teacher that I had and the sad news that she had passed away. I haven't thought about her in a long time, but I did every once and a while when something reminded me of her. Covid had prevented people from having a celebration of life right away, so they had to wait two years.
I decided that I would attend the day after I got back from vacation. That morning I got up, got ready and headed over to downtown Olympia to First Christian Church. I've driven past it many times but never knew it was a church. I found a place to park and went inside. I found a pew to sit on. I didn't recognize anyone. I figured at least another RES teacher would come. Then I saw Kenny and Shari, so I sat with them. Their connection to Mrs. Wilson was church and their wedding back in 1996. Shari and her sister played the hand bells growing up.
I got to see some of the people who were in Mrs. Wilson's life including her friends, her son and daughter and the people she went to church with. She even had some of her neighbors and former girl scouts show up!
We sang hymns and people played the hand bells. Her son and daughter said a few words and then some of the people who attended said some stuff. I thought I should say something because I was the only student from RES that came. I told everyone who I was, how I met Mrs. Wilson and shared some of the stories written down below.
To finish off the celebration, we sang more hymns and then went to another room to partake in refreshments and chat with people. I went home shortly after to get ready for the work week since I was gone for the entire week on vacation. Since I am friends with a lot of people who knew Mrs. Wilson, I posted this on Facebook along with her program:
"To those of you who had Helena Wilson as a 5th grade teacher at Rainier Elementary School, she was one busy lady who absolutely loved teaching kids.
An original Hoosier, who was transplanted in Washington State because it was easier to obtain a teaching certificate here rather than California at the time...it may still be true today, I am not sure. She and her husband, called Olympia home for the next several decades, he a dentist and she, an elementary school teacher. She was very active in her church community including a successful hand bell choir, was a girl scout leader, a neighborhood advocate and a great family member and fried to those around her.
I first met her as a 5th grader. I had no prior knowledge of her or who she was until I was in her class during the 1994-1995 school year. To be honest, she was intimidating at first, but you knew she cared about students and the material she was teaching. I was very shy and hated speaking aloud and answering questions in front of the class. I think she knew that when I never spoke up, I was the kid that if you asked a question and didn't get a response from anyone, she would find that kid (me) who looked away to avoid eye contact. Of course, on occasion, she would call on me and I was mortified when she did so. Sometimes I knew the answer and other times I had no clue.
We had a lot of fun in her class though. We were out in the red building (as we called it) that was attached to the old gym and cafeteria (behind the old red school that is now the district office.) At the time, Mrs. Wilson, Mr. Boyer and the music room, which was headed by Mrs. Rogers, occupied the three rooms out there.
The couple of things I remember from her class were:
- The "egg drop" from the top of the red building and yes, my egg survived the fall.
- Riding our bikes to and from Millersylvania State Park with the DARE officers.
- Meeting some of my good friends in that class.
- The awkward videos we had to watch during the sex education segment of the curriculum, the girls were in Mrs. Wilson's classroom and the boys were in Mr. Boyer's classroom. Pretty sure they scared us enough to never have to worry about being a teen mom.
- Having our parents sign off on our homework and me forging my mother's initials because I forgot one week, and I thought I would be caught.
- She was the one and only teacher that made us brush our teeth after lunch because her husband was a dentist. The fluoride we called "swish" also reminds me of this time.
- We had a Christmas tree in our classroom, and she organized a gift swap with our classmates and made everyone feel included.
- I now have context of the hand bells used at the Christmas program where we played and sang, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. I still remember practicing with those white gloves. I was the "E" bell.
- Playing games like connect four, bean bag tic-tac-toe and guess who, kept us busy for an hour while the kids who played band had to go to band practice. We also played these games when we had to have indoor recess when it rained too much.
- Turning the red building in a three-classroom haunted house, dressing up and going from classroom-to-classroom trick or treating.
Most of all, she had an impact on me growing up. That year spent in her classroom was tough but an educational experience. She was one of the good ones. I had her sign one of my high school yearbooks. I enjoyed school, my teachers and learning. I thought it was important to show up for her today since she showed up for all of us during her time in Rainier.
RIP Mrs. Wilson, you will be missed by many.
Next Adventure: Geocaching Community Celebration Event Priest Point Park
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