Strong work ethic, friends serve cook at Jackson Middle School well

Dorris Peters recently celebrated her 85th birthday with one of her favorite meals — orange chicken from the cafeteria at Jackson Middle School.

Peters has been a cook at Jackson Middle School for 14 years and before that she was a custodian for the Jackson School District and the school in Burfordville. In all, Peters has spent 51 years working for public schools in Missouri.

Even so, as far as Peters is concerned, retirement is still a long way off.

"As long as the Lord gives me strength and keeps blessing me, I'll keep working. I enjoy it," she said.

Karen Sander, Child Nutrition director for Jackson School District, said she would love to have 10 more just like Dorris Peters.

"She's such a blessing," Sander said. "She has a work ethic you don't see in younger people. You can tell she likes being here because she comes in early just to eat breakfast with the rest of the kitchen staff."

Peters said she learned her work ethic from growing up on her family's farm in Burfordville.

"I was the oldest in the family, so I had to work," Peters said. "That's just part of my nature. You don't sit around and do nothing. You find something to do. I'm better satisfied if I'm busy than if I'm not doing anything."

That's why Sander said she didn't hesitate to hire Dorris' younger sister, Marcella Peters.

"I knew that spirit of hard work was in the blood," Sander said. "Marcella retired after 35 years at a bank and she called me one day and said, 'I want exactly what my Sissy has.'"

Marcella is five years younger than her sister who she said, "works a circle around me." Marcella said she was surprised at how hard working in the school cafeteria was compared to what she was used to at a bank.

"Dorris asked me how I like working in the kitchen and I said, 'Well, it's stand up, shut up and serve up,'" Marcella said. "I was used to sitting, I was used to talking, and I was used to counting money. It was quite a change coming here, but it's all right."

Dorris said it was good to be able to work with her sister and see her every day because they have been so close their whole lives.

So close the sisters married brothers who lived on a farm just down the road.

"We all grew up together and went to church and school together," Dorris said. "Their farm was just past the covered bridge in Burfordville. We used to walk to school with those Peters boys and later we all got married."

Dorris said she has two daughters and Marcella has two sons.

"She claims my girls and I claim her boys and we still only live about a mile apart," Dorris said.

After getting married and having children, Dorris started working for the school in Burfordville in 1972 after her oldest daughter started kindergarten.

She said having her daughters going to the schools where she worked was convenient, and she got summers off so she could work on the family farm during the busy season. Just like their mother, Dorris Peters' daughters graduated from Jackson High School.

Since she started working in the Jackson Middle School cafeteria, Dorris said a few things have changed such as serving more fresh fruits and vegetables. However, she said one thing that hasn't changed is student's favorite foods.

"Tacos, hamburgers and crispitos. Just kid food," Dorris said. "And pizza, too, but that's a lot better now because it used to be frozen pizzas, but now, we make them fresh."

Dorris said she runs into people now and then who remember her. One face has been familiar since she was a custodian at the school in Burfordville.

"I remember Dr. Kinder from when he was a kid," Dorris said referring to Keenan Kinder, who is the assistant superintendent of Safety and District Operations for Jackson School District. "Keenan rode the school bus my husband drove. And now he's in charge of the school buses for the whole district."

Kinder said he remembers Dorris and her husband being his neighbors and described them as a "pillar" of his childhood.

"It's just so remarkable to get to work with Dorris," Kinder said. "She told me how proud she was of me, and I teared up because I hold her in such high regard. She's just so dedicated to our school and it's just amazing. She's just a remarkable person."

Dorris said one of her favorite things about working at Jackson Middle School is the people she works with who have become her friends.

"That's the reason I work. Just to be with people," Dorris said. "We all get along good and it's just enjoyable. Made some good friendships all these years."