Dandelion Wine

The first time I met Donna Jarrett she was sorting teaching supplies in the cafeteria of the Wayne Gray Elementary School in Addison, Michigan.  That was August of 1977.  I was the new principal of the elementary school and she was my secretary.  I had never had a secretary before, and I was looking forward to learning how this whole thing worked.  She taught me well.

One of the first pieces of advice that I received from my new boss, Roger, was to make an appointment with my predecessor, Sue.  Sue had taken a new position in Albion and had agreed to meet with whomever took her place in Addison to bring them up to speed on the elementary school teaching staff.

The Addison Community School District was opening with a new alignment in the fall of 1977.  The new middle school opened and the Devils Lake School closed.  The realignment brought about several changes to teaching assignments throughout the district.  I was inheriting staff members from the Wayne Gray building, the Devils Lake building and the Intermediate School.

I met with Sue as Roger suggested.  She talked about each staff member and gave me her impression of each.  She told me who I could count on for support, who I should watch for,  who were the potential thorns in my side,  etc. etc.  Everything that she told me proved to be dead wrong.

Donna became my guiding light.  She knew everyone.  She knew where they were from, where they hoped to go, who got a long and who didn’t.  As my opening days grew into weeks I pulled her aside from time to time for a “history lesson”.   Most lessons were very simple.

“What do you know about this or that?”

“Has so and so ever done such and such?”

“What do you think people will say if I propose …?”

She gave me straight answers and didn’t pull any punches.  I didn’t always follow the tips she offered, and she never offered anything without me asking first.  She let me make and learn from my own mistakes.

On the last day of school of my first year,  I called her into my office after everyone had left and thanked her for helping me get through the year.   I wouldn’t have made it without her.

One of the highlights of that first year was meeting Donna’s family. She spoke often of her children and grandchildren and how proud she was of each of them.

I also met her husband, Dick.   Dick was “a character”.  Dick  made homemade wine and was always quick to offer his visitors a glass.  My favorite was Dandelion wine.  I’d never heard of anyone making wine from Dandelions, but Dick was a master of his craft.

I don’t recall how long Donna and Dick were married before Dick passed, but I know that Donna missed Dick.  And although we never spoke of it, I expect that she missed his Dandelion wine as well.

After a few years with me, Donna moved to the superintendent’s office.  She finished her career there.

On August 16, 2002 I called Donna.  It was one of the few times in our relationship that I took the time to dial her number.  I was reflecting with Ruth that this was the anniversary of my  25th year as a school administrator.  The first fifteen were in Addison and the latest in Britton.  I considered myself successful, and knew that if that first year hadn’t gone well, the subsequent twenty-four would have been a greater challenge.

We spoke briefly, but I wanted her to know that I knew that much of what I had accomplished was a result of our talks during that first year.  That was the second and last time that I thanked her.

A week ago as I was seeking help with our most recent flood damage, I called Donna’s nephew for his assistance.  At the end of our talk I asked how his “Aunt Donna” was doing.  His reply stung.  “Aunt Donna died.”

I have thought about her each day since.  My thoughts are always happy and triggered by one thing – the dandelions that are blooming  through these early May days.

If there’s a place where love ones gather after they pass, I expect that Dick had some Dandelion wine ready to share with Donna.