For those who are old enough to remember her, Lois Bird was a very special friend. Born February 8, 1907, she came to East Rochester with her family in 1913 from Phelps, N.Y. Her father, Louis, was our village high school principal and later district superintendent. Her mother, Laura, was a teacher. Lois had four sisters, and her family lived for many years on East Ivy Street, opposite Edmund Lyon Park.
Lois graduated from high school in 1924 and Keuka college in 1928. She later received a degree in psychology from Penn State and continued to work on her doctorate there with nationally known reading specialists. Lois taught second and third grade, and was assistant elementary school principal; but she spent most of her life as a reading specialist often working with students who had come from abroad and needed help learning English.
Miss Bird was very active in school and village organizations – President of the ER Teachers’ Association, member of the ER Pioneers, numerous Baptist Church committees, College Club, Study Club, ER Youth Recreation Council, and co-captain of the ER Civic Music Association. She also worked with teachers and helped start the Rochester Chapter of the International Reading Association; and she was an early member of the regional chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma (an international organization for women educators). During her life Lois received many awards, including: Rotary Citizen of the Year (1966) and St. Nicholas Society Citizen of the Year (1984).
Lois loved sports, and kept in close touch with the East Rochester School teams and the football teams at Penn State. She often wrote letters of encouragement or congratulations to the teams. The letters were often posted on the teams’ bulletin boards for all the players to see.
Miss Bird’s most special collection was her valentines. She began collecting them in the 1920s when her mother gave her a valentine from the Civil War which she had found in an antique shop. Lois enjoyed sharing the valentines with her students. Some of her cards are currently on display in our Local History Room, courtesy of the ER Public Library.
The love Lois felt for everyone was reciprocated often, especially when the elementary school was named in her honor in 1980. Lois died on January 4, 1996. She loved learning, and sharing that passion made her the special teacher we all admired and respected. Her kindness, support, and integrity were always evident. As we think of Valentine’s Day, Miss Bird remains in our hearts.