Iva L. Klusmeier

To this day, I still recall what words I can and cannot use (is, am, are, was, were, seem, feel, appear, etc.) each time I write something. And, frighteningly, I can still recite most of the Gettysburg Address from memory because of her. She was an incredible educator whose contributions will be truly missed.

I was Iva's Family from Southern Indiana, it's so hard to know where to start , it made me feel so good to have read all the Guest Book Entries from all over the USA and even Japan to know how everybody felt about that wonderful person who we will all miss she was like a sister to me since my sister died so young . I probably would of had a hard time in Iva's English classes. I know when she would come to Indiana she always had some really good stories to tell about her High School kids in...

Miss Klusmeier had a passion to educate about life, as much as her courses in the classroom. I knew I was in for it when I crossed her doorstep at Sheffield Chapin High School. She had previously taught my father and older sister. The consensus was, "This Gal Is Tough." Her stern manner demanded respect while her heart showed it was for your own good. I thanked God I had her as an instructor and friend once I reached college. We'll never know how lucky we were to have her. Peace be with you...

Today I will do a bit of teaching in a public setting, and my packaging of the content will be largely influenced by Miss Klusmeier. She provided the foundation for diagramming sentences and framing thoughts with proper grammar and flow. She also still is the content for many an illustration about commitment to students. In a society which falters at communication, those of us who sat under her teaching can claim a "leg up." (Frankly, I better double check my grammar in this paragraph!) ...

One of my most vivid memories from 8th grade was when our class had a visit from the high school guidance counselor to help us prepare for the transition to high school. Since we were still in Chapin at the time, moving to high school seemed like a really big deal. We had the typical concerns of a bunch of kids about to become high schoolers, but our number one, biggest concern was Communications class with Miss Klusmeier. She had such a reputation that we were shaking in our boots months...

What a wonderful and inspiring woman she was to so.... many.

I consider myself one of the lucky ones, even luckier than most, because I got to know Miss Klusmeier as Iva. She was more than just an English teacher; she was a mentor, a friend and a confidant. Behind that icy classroom stare that most of you are familiar with, was a kind and gentle person, who was full of life and with whom I often conversed about sports, relationships, family, friends, (even bartending in Iowa City) and yes, the craft of inspiring children to learn. I am thankful for...

In my work I write every day, and rarely does a day pass without using what I learned from Miss Klusmeier. She will always be a part of me.

My family and I visited Iva in August. She was her old wonderful, feisty self: told me to tuck in my shirt and stick my gum on my nose, and when I introduced my “kids,” well, she started to turn purple and gasp for air. So quickly I told her that my paragraphs were double spaced, had at least 125 words, and contained only active voice verbs; that calmed her. And I decided not to tell her about all the “stuff” we did during the summer…

Iva lived her life as she instructed us: “This...