Bonnie Leeman was more than just a “librarian” at Becker High School.

 

She was an amazing mother to three kids, an incredible grandmother to four and a devoted wife to her husband.

 

Leeman, 64, died the day after Valentine’s day and left a hole in her family’s lives as well as the hundreds of students and staff she has impacted through her 37 years at BHS.

 

A Walking Encyclopedia

 

Leeman began her career at Becker High School in 1978 as the school’s media specialist — an elevated title from the term “librarian” most people grew up with. She worked alongside dozens of people including Nancy Lorenz and Bev Foss. Both held Leeman in high regard for all the books she read, for all the tapes she’d make and for all the things she’d do to make the media room a special place for students and staff.

 

“When I got here eight years ago, she told me she had read every book we had in the media center,” said Lorenz. “She knew so much and she wanted to make sure she was prepared when kids and teachers came asking her for her recommendations.”

 

Lorenz remembers a time when she went on a book-buying binge and realized she was crimping Leeman’s style by bringing in too many books too quickly.

 

“She would tell me, ‘Stop, I can’t keep up,’” Lorenz said. “So I would tell her, ‘you don’t have to read every single book we bring in her. But she told me ‘yes, I do! How can I recommend something I haven’t read?”

 

Foss, the middle and high school technology assistant, said she was amazed at what Leeman could remember and retain in her incredible mind.

 

“She was a walking encyclopedia,” she said. “She did research in her head and kids would ask her something and it was right there at the top of her head. If it wasn’t, she could immediately look it up and locate it for you. She was amazing that way.”

 

Network Manager Technician  Sumre Robinson was equally amazed at the knowledge Leeman possessed.

 

“Any kid coming into the media center would approach her and ask for such-and-such. She would point them to where to go or rattle off a recommendation like her brain was a vault,” Robinson said. “She ran the circulation desk and made recommendations, checked books and materials in and out and made sure the center’s inventory was kept up. She was inspiring.”

 

Leeman will long be remembered not only for her expertise in the media center, but also for her delectable treats she’d bring in each and every Christmas season for students and staff.

 

“She was a phenomenal baker,” said Vice Principal Mark Kolbinger, who dealt with Leeman as a student, a teacher and a vice principal in her 37 years of employment. “Every Christmas it was like a cookie buffet.”

 

Kolbinger was referring to the dozens of ice cream buckets of various flavored cookies Leeman would bake, deliver and disperse in celebration of the Christmas season. Robinson says she was passionate about her job, the students and making sure, in her kindness, everyone was fulfilled.

 

“She would get here early and never ask for any help unloading and loading her cookies,” said Robinson. “She was extremely humble and never looked for accolades and notice.”

 

Principal Sandy Logrono is grateful she was given the opportunity to work with such a caring, giving individual.

 

“She was the face of the media center and she gave the place her own personal touch,” she said. “She had a terrific work ethic, working non-stop to make things better. She is going to be terribly missed.”

 

Another thing Leeman will always be remembered for is her senior bulletin board creations she would put together every May.

 

“One of her many personal touches she’d bring to Becker schools was her putting together the annual bulletin boards,” said Logrono. “I’ve been here nine years and she had started this thing many years before that. It was pretty special.”

 

The bulletin boards were where Leeman would take graduation photos of each and every senior student and post them to her bulletin boards in the media center. She would decorate the photos with little grad hats and handwrite each student’s name to give it a personal touch.

 

“She would cut out and color things for the boards and hand print all the names of the students,” said Foss. “the kids, of course, thought that was pretty special.”

 

Following Leeman’s passing, Lorenz was asked almost immediately by a senior student, “what is going to happen to this year’s bulletin board?’

 

“She asked me to see if Bonnie had put something on her computer on had something in the works for this May,” Lorenz said. “That’s the kind of impact her little projects had on the students every year she was here.”

 

“Mom was an awesome mom and an interesting type of person on how she approached motherhood,” said daughter Jennifer.  “Mom was the disciplinarian. She was stern and firm with us but she had to be, she didn't have time for misbehaving children.”  

 

Jennifer said her mom was not an emotional, loving kind of mom but her kids knew she loved and was proud of them.

 

“Mom showed her love in other ways,” she said.  “She sacrificed everything for us and put our needs and wants first.  She supported us in all of our endeavors but was the first to tell us ‘I told you so’ when we didn't listen to her and made bad choices.”

 

Jennifer’s sister, Dawn agrees.

 

“She was an amazing mom,” she said.  “She could scare the crap out of you, but you always knew she'd be there for you no matter what.”

 

The Leeman kids, including younger brother Chris, say their mom absolutely loved her job.

 

“The books, the research, helping kids with a project, it was her passion,” said Jennifer.  “She loved reading! She would read anything and everything and would recommend books to the students. She enjoyed discussing books that she read and listening to what others thoughts and opinions where.”

 

As far as the baking goes, the Leeman kids say that was her way of showing how much she cared for the students, staff and the school.

 

“Baking was definitely one of the ways she showed she cared,” said Dawn.  “We all helped her growing up with baking and bringing in all those cookies.  People still talk about it and remember all her amazing treats.”  

 

Leeman’s kids knew first-hand Bonnie had a tremendous heart for others.  

 

“She wouldn't come right out and say it, but you always knew she cared,” said Dawn.  “She made the library a safe haven for those who didn't always fit in.”

 

“Baking and sharing with others was our special quality time with mom,” said Jennifer. “I think one year we had made over 60 dozen cookies which we shared with the school, family and friends.”

 

Jennifer says her mom — besides reading books — loved to play Scrabble, cards and Trivial Pursuit. She also enjoyed watching movies and TV shows from Star Trek to Nightmare on Elm Street.

 

“Mom like attending her grandson Noah’s sporting events and my belly dance shows,” said Jennifer. “She loved to go places but hated the traveling part of the trips when we made several road trips down to Kansas city when my sister lived there.”

 

Bonnie touched many, many lives in her 64 years on earth and is being missed tremendously by the school, her co-workers and her family and friends. Her legacy has been planted and her impact on people’s lives is eternal.

 

“She had a way of making every person she met feel special and important,” said Foss. “I miss her dearly.”

 

“When I was packing up her stuff after she passed, I remember noting she had just a few pictures on her desk of family and a few photos from some of her past students,” said Lorenz. “She kept things simple here and separated her work life from her home life.”

 

“She made an impact on every kid that’s come through this school and every kid’s kid,” said Robinson. “She was a gentle spirit and a kind-hearted, humble human being.”

 

“I just know she was a pretty quiet person that wasn’t interested in the limelight,” said Kolbinger. “But that light shone anyways as she made a hug impact on me and on a very large number of students who have walked these halls.”

 

“She was an amazing wife, mother, grandmother, and friend,” said Dawn Leeman.  “I will truly miss her and wish that we had more time with her.  She touched so many people's lives.

 Always on my mind. Forever in my heart.”

 

“Perfect. She was the perfect mom for us,” said Jennifer.

 

Bonnie Leeman was laid to rest Feb. 19.