Kalke also recalled a couple of brothers who were always wrestling with each other when he would arrive at their house before school.
“One morning shortly after getting on the bus, one of the brothers slapped the other one,” said Kalke. “I asked him, ‘Why did you do that?’ He replied, ‘I just had to do it.’”
If you were to look up the meaning of reliable in the dictionary, you might just find Kalke’s name listed.
“I never missed a morning in 32 years,” said Kalke. “I never had an accident, although I did hit a couple of mailboxes some years ago.”
Kalke credits the support he has received in his many years in the driver’s seat.
“The parents are great and really involved with their kids,” said Kalke. “The teachers and the superintendent have always backed us up as well. It has been fun for me to see the looks on the faces of the kids when they get on the bus for their first day of kindergarten. You really notice how much they change over the summers. Before you know it, you are getting an invitation in the mail to their wedding.”
On the last day of school, the staff and students arranged a hero’s send off honoring Kalke and to show their appreciation for his many dedicated years. The party was complete with the school band playing the Minnesota rouser, since Kalke is a big Gopher fan.
“It was really great,” noted Lavonne Kalke, Kermit’s bride. “A couple of the girls went up and gave Kermit a hug, and I noticed they were crying Then I started crying. It was too much.”
Just because Kalke is retiring from bus driving, by no means is he permanently retiring.
“I will still be working at Wagner’s,” said Kalke, who is a meat cutter. “It just means I will have more time to spend with my 11 grandkids and Lavonne. I have really enjoyed it. You get to see a lot of wildlife from behind the wheel. It’s fun to watch the crops and see what the farmers are doing, but mostly I will miss the kids.”
