I too had many childhood memories brought back by your recent obituary for
Gertrude Leitzke.  I was a student of hers at the one room Lemm School in
third and fourth grade, just before East Olive opened.

Mrs. Leitzke was a special person who made a real difference in my life.
There was no coasting in her classes regardless of your academic level.  She
was a big believer in dotting your I's and crossing your T's.  "You just
have to get down to brass tacks," she would say, and she was right.
Although I didn't always think so at the time, I was lucky to have her as my
teacher.

My favorite memories are of the Christmas programs at Lemm School.  Mrs.
Leitzke kept a collection of old skits (like "Judge Midget's Court") and
songs that we diligently rehearsed and performed for our families.  She
spent most of December getting us ready for the big night.  No matter what
happened, she told how proud she was of us.

The Lemm School experience shows the importance of good teachers.  With all
the new schools opened in St. Johns and the old ones tumbling down, we
should remember that it's really the teachers that influence our children's
lives, not buildings, textbooks or computers.  I will remember Mrs. Lietzke
as a truly outstanding teacher.

Stan Hatch
Mundelein, Illinois

Reader remembers Gertrude Lietzke

Recently you ran the obituary for Gertrude Lietzke, a former teacher in the St. Johns area. I'm sure I am just one of the many people who were instantly taken back to their childhood and memories of this fine teacher.

I remember transferring to her class in March of my first grade year, scared and lonely, only to find a teacher who shared my two greatest interests; reading and rock collecting. I remember when the principal denied her request to take our class on a rock collecting field trip. Shortly after that, the whole school was disrupted with the arrival of two dump trucks full of rocks.

The trucks proceeded to dump their loads in the middle of the school driveway. The principal was outraged, demanding to know what was going on, and worried about how the buses were going to get in to pick up the students after school. Mrs. Lietzke calmly turned to him and said, "I guess my first graders will just have to spend the day smoothing out the rocks." And that's just what we did, examining and enjoying the rocks all day.

Mrs. Lietzke took the time to know each of her students, to look them in the eye and try to reach their heart. What an inspiring example to us all, teachers or not, to try to do the same to the children God has graciously placed around us.

Brenda Cook Zanoni

St. Johns