Elizabeth Jane Work

From “Work Family History”, vol. I (1969) & vol. II (1994), compiled by Von Gail Hamilton.

All the girls in this family put themselves through college by working in the dorm and taking turns teaching school. Elizabeth's teaching experiences were varied, beginning with Rural #1 with 47 pupils in 7 grades, where she rode horseback 12 miles, did her own janitor work, and was paid the magnificent sum of $585 for 9 months work.

Her finest moment came in 1963, when she was chosen Colorado Teacher of the Year. Quoting from the nomination material - "She has lived a most exemplary life, has never been downed by the adversities of health or criticism, gives herself far beyond the call of duty both in school and in the community, keeps very well informed, is a person of many interests, but over and above all she always challenged her students, demanding that each one give his best, and requiring that each think for himself. Miss Work is a Master Teacher."

Her many activities included summer courses at Bethel College (Newton, KS), Colorado University, Colorado Teachers College; extension classes from Minnesota University. In the summer, long tours of the country by car; flower gardening; needlework; collecting religious poetry. She was active in the Ensign Presbyterian Church in many different capacities.

From an article in the "Ft. Morgan Times" following her death: ". . . a teacher for 42 years before her retirement . . . Her indomitable perseverance in service while battling ill-health for years epitomized courage to many of her friends . . . received her B.A. from Cooper (now Stirling) College, in Stirling, KS and her M.A. from Columbia University . . . Her primary interests included service to God and the church, responsible citizenship, the pupils with whom she worked . . .She first taught 47 pupils in 7 grades in a rural school in the Ft. Morgan District, riding horseback 12 miles a day to do so. Later, for a year, she taught at Lincoln School. From 1922 to 1964 she influenced perhaps 5,000 young people in the Ft. Morgan High School."

When her fellow teachers nominated her for the Look Magazine Teacher of the Year award, 1962-63, their presentation included letters from many of her former and current pupils, telling how she had influenced their lives. A partial summary would be that she taught them to evaluate the sources of their information carefully; to dissent honestly on occasion; to organize material meaningfully - to think, not to memorize . . . As a result of the committee's compilation of facts, Miss Work was named Colorado Teacher of the Year and was entered in the national contest. While not the winner of 1st place nationally, she was one of the finalists. One of her prized possessions had been a large scrapbook in which the committee carefully bound all these evidences of her outstanding service as a master teacher. . . ."