DUNDEE Staff and students at Dundee Elementary have planted a tree in honor of Heather Yoder, former secretary at the school.
DUNDEE Staff and students at Dundee Elementary have planted a tree in honor of Heather Yoder, former secretary at the school.
Yoder, 45, died of bacterial meningitis in December.
"Heather was full of life, energetic and a servant leader," said Curtis Fisher, principal of Dundee Elementary. "Always smiling, she was the ideal connection of our building to the community. Everyone who crossed her path felt important and cared for. She was so efficient and organized that she made me more confident and prepared in the job I was doing. She was such an unselfish person that others’ needs always came before her own."
The event Tuesday was organized by Carol Renner and Ashley Brandes, teachers at the school. A penny drive was held to raise money to plant a red sunset maple tree in her honor.
A memorial stone will be installed later, donated by Summit Memorials in Akron. A bench will accompany the tree, donated by Alvin and Emma Hershberger.
"Our ceremony started with me saying a few words," Fisher said. "I compared Heather’s impact on us to the parts of a tree:
"Roots - foundation and nurturing; Heather was our foundation and strength,
"Trunk - supports the tree; Heather supported us in numerous ways (Band-Aids, hugs, smiles, proficiency in her work),
"Leaves - green = full of life; Heather was just that, encouraging all of us.
"Then, our students sang her favorite song, 'Chain Breaker' by Zach Williams. After that, we filled in dirt and added mulch. Each student had one cup of mulch, and were encouraged to think of a happy memory of Heather as they poured it around the tree."