The Jackie Skillings Garden was designed as a reading area with teacher's chair and benches for children to sit on and listen to a story.

Skillings memorialized with reading garden at St. Ed's

Former longtime St. Edward's teacher Jackie Skillings, who passed away in 2020, was honored on Saturday afternoon during a private dedication ceremony. Several of her family members were in attendance.
Because Skillings, who taught various grades for 30 years at St. Edward's, valued reading so much an Adirondack reading chair was placed in what is now known as The Jackie Skillings Garden Area north of the school with a plaque on the right armrest that reads: Jackie Skillings, Teacher, Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Friend.
"Jackie was an avid reader and she really wanted the kids she taught to be readers, too," said her husband, Joel. "She valued reading. This was really a nice thing they did for her."
A photo of Jackie with a little history about her is affixed to a fence just behind the chair. Two benches are also dedicated in her memory with a small plaque on each one with the inscription "You will never be forgotten. Jackie Skillings 1961-2020."
Joel was accompanied by his son Christian, daughter Ashley and her husband Josh and their two children, Aria and Nola. Joel and Jackie's other son, Tanner, lives in New Zealand and was able to view the dedication via Facetime.
During the same ceremony, the late Jane Hennen was also honored with three memory benches because some of her grandchildren attended St. Edward's School. Hennen also passed away in 2020. Her plaque on each bench reads: "In loving memory. Jane Hennen. 1939-2020."
Several dogwood bushes were planted in the memorial garden area. Nikki Traen, Hennen's granddaughter, read a Paul Harvey "The Rest of the Story" passage about the legend of the dogwood tree.Besides Traen, Hennen's husband Ernie, daughters Rhonda Buysse and Janet Differding and grandchildren Audyn and Brisbyn Traen attended the memorial dedication.
Father Todd Peterson opened the dedication with a blessing. Several St. Edward's faculty members were also on hand.
Lying on the ground behind the reading chair are decorative garden stones that first and second grade students from the last class Jackie taught made in her honor.
The reading chair is not only designed as a memorial to Skillings. It is also expected to be used for children and parents to sit and read as Jackie would have wanted.
"I'll probably sit there and read to my two grandchildren someday," said Joel. "Then they can say that grandpa read to them in grandma's chair."

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