Fern Bowder's first-grade teacher inspired her to become a teacher herself.
As a young girl, Bowder loved that her teacher was kind and patient and taught her how to read at Hillsboro Public School in Hillsboro, Missouri, a town south of St. Louis. From there, she continued learning from teachers who fueled her interest in entering the education field.
Throughout her teaching career, Bowder, a first-grade teacher at Trinity Lutheran School in Jefferson City, taught young children reading, writing, mathematics and more - always keeping the love and lessons of Christ at the forefront of her teaching.
"Whatever we do, we do to Jesus, to God," she said.
After 40 years and hundreds of students, Bowder is retiring this year. Describing herself as a goal-oriented woman, Bowder said she always envisioned leaving education after four decades.
She started her Trinity tenure in 1977 after teaching for two years at Grace Lutheran Church and School in Kansas City, Kansas. Her fiancé at the time, now husband, was a teacher in Iowa. Four days before their wedding, they were offered positions at Trinity Lutheran and accepted. Her husband, the Rev. Russ Bowder, is now the senior pastor there.
As the rain poured Tuesday, Bowder and her last class of students spent their final full day of school enjoying indoor activities.
Bowder has taught first, second and third grades at the parochial school, but first grade is her favorite, she said, because of the noticeable growth in the children's abilities throughout the year.
"From August to May, this whole window opens and they are all ready to walk through it," she said. "It's like day and night. They become independent learners in a lot of ways through that first-grade year, and I've always enjoyed watching that happen."
In order for her students to achieve that success, she said she makes herself be consistent and follow through.
"Say what you mean, and mean what you say," Bowder said.
She considers herself tough and a disciplinarian, but one who does all actions with love.
"If I don't hold that standard, I feel negligent to the child," she said. "Everything that we do has to be for the kids. Yes, we can have big hearts, but they have to be made responsible and they have to learn respect."
Kristina Hein, a former Trinity Lutheran student, was Bowder's student teacher and will take over her class next school year. Working with Bowder, Hein said, she learned classroom management skills - specifically keeping the classroom flow going with structured routines.
Hein said Bowder also showed her how to be firm while also being caring and nurturing.
"She's very sweet," she said. "She'd do anything for anybody."
Principal Steve Gonzalez worked with Bowder for 18 years at Trinity Lutheran and called her an "incredible teacher" who was "truly a faithful witness to her students." Earlier this month, the school hosted a retirement party for Bowder and more than 350 people showed, attesting to her success as an educator.
"We're going to miss her," Gonzalez said.
Looking back on her career, Bowder said she feels positive and has no regrets. It's been fun and a responsibility to "mold these little people," she said. While holding her students to a high standard for years, Bowder did so for herself as well.
"Model, you've got to model what you want your students to do," she said. "Kids will follow so readily. If you want your kids to do something, you better do it too."
In her retirement, Bowder said she plans to stay invested at Trinity Lutheran, switching her involvement from the school to the church.