The Times Salutes Betty Klinefelter

Historical June 1985 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.

She began her working life at IBM, and, in another day, might easily have become a working mom looking for a pre-school. Instead, living in Skinker-DeBaliviere thirty years ago, raising her family, other opportunities arose.

One of those became the special achievement of being director of Grace Pre-School, from which she has recently resigned due to health reasons. Betty has been active in many ways over the years.

One of those opportunities for leadership came in 1957 when a “father shortage” caused her to become a Cub Master for her son’s troop.

Now twenty-eight years later, she says Cubs are still her favorites, “the most fun. . . to have little boys in pre-school and before I can blink my eyes they are eight years old and Cubs!” Then in 1959 another opportunity presented itself, and she organized a Brownie troop, following her daughter on through to Senior Girl Scouts.

Her own children grew up and out, of course; Betty stuck with scouts and became a very special scout leader. Under Betty’s leadership, the Senior Girl Scouts developed their now famous catering skills and began serving dinners and breakfasts to groups, banking the proceeds to serve as seed money for taking trips, not to Kansas City or Cincinnati, but to Rome, to Hawaii, to Moscow, etc.!

The exotic destinations and the discipline she teaches to get there are in addition to the more ordinary ways in which Betty has used scouting to help “her” children become their best. Along with volunteering for scouting, Betty was in the early 1960’s asked to become director of the Children’s Division of Christian Education at her church, Grace United Methodist.

She developed Sunday School programs, of course, but went much further.

She took classes in early childhood education; she attended Washington University’s School of Social Work; she worked in the community—in those days there was plenty to be done!

She served as representative to the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council, as board member of the People’s Clinic.

And in 1968 she was the recipient of the Neighborhood Service Award—”For Outstanding Service to her community,” from St. Roch’s Church, April 28, 1968. Ten years later, she was elected to the St. Louis Board of Education, and she served a six year term on that busy board, assisting in resolving a city-wide teachers’ strike and in many other ways trying to make a difference for children throughout St. Louis.

These activities are wrapped around her great work as director of the Grace Methodist Pre-School, the position from which she has recently resigned after thirteen active years plus two more as teacher before becoming director. Fifteen years and 300+ children later, what a difference she has made in the life of this community. Grace Pre-School is at once a model for early childhood educators and easily the most fun place in the world for the lucky children who get to play there with special teachers led by the lady who really knows what it takes to get them ready for reading—and for getting along with others— and for being the best they can be.

To succeed in creating a pre-school of such special distinction in a neighborhood with so many academic parents took special skills. Betty Klinefelter combined her own academic studies with an ability to communicate with parents as well as kids.

Her obvious affection and appreciation for the children and their uniqueness are combined with a knack for showing parents in little ways how really special their own children are, as well as how to help them overcome problems and develop their potential.

As informal as it seems, the atmosphere is one of professionalism, of caring, of creativity.

One example: the dress up trunk. Knowing how important “dress up” is to children finding out about the world of grown ups as well as discovering themselves, Betty put together over the years one of the most fabulous trunks ever. Magnificent brides’ dresses (which boys or girls might have on any day!), velvet coats, hats of every size and shape—and much more— make imaginations run miles!

Her bag of tricks has also included many ways she has found to “volunteer” the parents in decorating, in building, in creating for the pre-school building and yard. Betty’s impact on St. Louis early childhood education goes further than the immediate neighborhood, of course, reaching for example many students who have been under her supervision in practicum settings from Forest Park Community College; she has had an opportunity to counsel and steer them in—or away from—careers in what she considers the most important part of education.

Many of her students have gone on to become themselves important educators; Nancy Joyner, for example, who is director of the Ethical Society Pre-School. Serving not only as teacher but also a role model, Betty says one of the difficulties of steering good people into this important career is the salary range, a problem facing all areas of education.

In their announcement of her resignation from the directorship of the preschool, the Grace Reporter noted, “Under her dedicated guidance the school has become more than a school, it has become a neighborhood institution. How many of our church members realize that this is one of the greatest missions our church provides for the neighborhood?” A neighborhood institution indeed, Grace Pre-School is most of all a warm and caring place for the hundreds of children lucky enough to have been there while Betty Klinefelter gave her special talents to them.

She says, “I love this neighborhood and community and know how lucky I’ve been to know so many wonderful people. I am grateful that so many parents have trusted me with their children.” As we recognize her accomplishments in pre-school education, we also note that she intends to remain active in Cub Scouts and Sr. Girl Scouts as well.

As she says, she is not retiring, only resigning one of her several jobs.

As she takes off the pre-school hat, we say, with the hundreds of children she has taught, “Thanks, Klinefelter!!”

Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, June 1985.

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Original source: SD_Times1985_06.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 7; PDF page(s) 1, 7.