Family is a big part of Gloria Tilmans life, including the 250 or so kids at Humboldt Elementary School.
So after 30 years as secretary at HES, Gloria, age 61, knows its going to take a while to adjust to her retirement Thursday.
But that wont end her involvement with children. As a grandmother, Gloria will take over the duties for 2-year-old Haddie next fall when her daughter, Cara Thomas, returns to work as a kindergarten teacher at HES.
Gloria graduated from Humboldt High in 1975 and married husband Jeff the same year. He has been with Westar 29 years and plans to join his wife in retirement in a year and a half. They also have three sons, Drake, a Humboldt police officer, and Adam and Bradley, who live in Oklahoma.
The couple has seven grandchildren.
Gloria first worked at Allen County Hospital and then an Iola physicians office for several years.
In 1989, she took on with Humboldt schools when John Smith was superintendent and Larry Hart was HES principal.
Ive had wonderful administrators over the years, Gloria said, including current Superintendent Kay Lewis and Principal Staci Hudlin.
Gloria hasnt been just a paper-pusher at the school, although that is part of the job.
Interaction with the students always has been a big part of Glorias responsibilities, from sticking Band Aids on an ouchy to listening to the multitude of stories kids relish telling. Shes always been a good listener, she said.
They have all kinds of things they cant wait to share when they get to school, Gloria said.
Ive watched a lot of kids grow up, and many stop by every now and again, always getting a warm smile from the lady at the front desk.
She also is a whiz with computer programs that track attendance and log a raft of information about each student, including grades, to keep parents in the know.
You have to be flexible, Gloria said, of all the chores office personnel are charged with performing.
While she is used to having summers off, it will take Gloria some time to accept she wont be reporting back to school in August.
