LONGTIME TEACHER HERE REACHES 100TH BIRTHDAY

Though Virginia Willer retired from teaching 30 years ago, many Cape Girardeau residents will remember the longtime first-grade teacher at Franklin Elementary School, who celebrates her 100th birthday today.

A resident at Chateau Health Center, Willer began teaching at Franklin Elementary school in 1927. She stayed at that school until her retirement in 1961.

Before beginning work at Franklin, she taught at Old Lorimier School, then brand-new Washington School, and at Oak Ridge.

Among the administrators she taught under were superintendent L.J. Schultz and principal May Greene.

In the early days, Willer had as many as 50 students in a first-grade class. "There weren't enough desks," she recalled. With so many children, the day was split into morning and afternoon classes, similar to today's kindergarten.

"I never had any trouble with discipline," Willer said. "Spanking was getting out of style, but the kids just didn't cause any trouble.

"They had been taught at home to obey their teachers, and they did," Willer said. "I got a lot of support from parents back then."

Willer said she has enjoyed watching her students grow up and become adults. She keeps track of many of them, she said.