School custodian Eshelman hangs up her mop and broom

Phyllis Eshelman has enjoyed getting to know the students of this area’s schools for the last 28 years as a janitor. She has served in that role in school buildings in all three towns that make up the Nodaway Valley Community School District.

Many who know her say Eshelman’s work ethic is unmatched. It’s a matter of care that she had for the students and staff of the buildings she was assigned to that kept her coming every day.

Eshelman started in the schools in 1995 in Fontanelle, as a Bridgewater-Fontanelle employee. She worked under Superintendent Fred Whipple first, and head custodian Ralph Gruber.

She was transferred to the Bridgewater building when its custodian Gary Antisdel retired. Not long after that, Lloyd Ringer retired from his post as custodian at the high school in Greenfield, so Eshelman was moved there.

“Back in those days, we did everything. We moved the snow, trimmed the grounds, mowed the football field. We did all of that and didn’t hire any of that out,” Eshelman said.

Eshelman can readily share several memories of working in the schools. Two of the most vivid ones she will share from the top of the list happened in Fontanelle.

One day in the late 90s she was out mowing the football field. Gruber had told her that things always needed to be cleaned off before they were shuttered for the night.

“I wasn’t usually aware of the weather around me, but for some reason, that night I was paying attention,” she said. “I said ‘That doesn’t look good.”

What happened a short time after she put the mower away and got home was that a tornado ripped the roof off of the school. What resulted as a period of time when classes had to be moved to portable units while construction crews rebuilt the building.

Eshelman said that her time working at the high school the last several years has been rewarding. Not only has she taken her task of keeping things nice and tidy seriously, she’s invested in many a student there.

“I try to pay attention to them,” she said. “There were a lot of students who I felt close with because they always came to me if they were having a bad day, and we’d chat.”

Eshelman also has served as a supervisor for several Work Experience students in the last few years. She spent a period of time coaching. She is also a cancer survivor.

What does Eshelman plan to do in retirement? First things first, she plans to clean her own home. She also will help out on the family farm more, where they have cattle and chickens.

“It will be nice so I don’t have to finish this job or that job before I leave work,” Eshelman said. “I hope to be able to go back and help and be a sub.”