conditioning, the It didn’t take furnace was leaky, long before she and had other was hooked. She assorted maladies worried about ahead of time. how long it would Fortunately after take and the making wonderful expense, to which friends and having Paul said, “We a terrific time, they can’t afford not to. soon moved to I’m not going to Yankton. It was there have you be sixty that they added years old saying another son, Nathan, woulda, shoulda, to their small family coulda!” She and owned a house of remembers how their own. it was very hard The decision to go to school to get into childcare full time, and say full time came about good bye to her as a need she heard child care families. Friends Forever with assistant Kathy Lawrence about through a “There were a lot family member. An of tears, but they Aunt told Kathy about a woman she knew who was a single mom threw me a big party, and they were happy I was going back to school.” and had adopted three young Native American children, and couldn’t She graduated in 1995, with a selective studies degree with early find anyone willing to take care of them while she was at work. Kathy childcare education and a business minor. stepped up for this family and became a licensed provider. Racism In 1997 Kathy received an unexpected call from the Mount. Word appeared even in her own childcare. The mother of one of her regular had gotten around about her experience with kids and the campus families, unexpectedly left a note on the door and moved her children child care center was in dire need of a new director. Her first day was somewhere else. Afterwards Kathy heard it through the grapevine that Halloween, and there were twelve children at the time. Once people the mother had said it was because “Kathy was taking those kinds of heard Kathy was the new director at Mount Marty, the enrollment children.” “It really broke my heart. I never saw that coming. I couldn’t quickly rose. The college center began as a resource for the children of believe that the care of someone’s children depended on the color of students, and Native American people in 1973. The cost was fifty cents someone’s skin.” Kathy’s always embraced diversity and says, “Kids a day, and they had to bring their own lunch. Sr. Ann Fasbender was see in technicolor, they don’t care about color. They might notice the director for the first twenty three years. The original center was differences in hair or skin, but they just don’t care.” Kathy easily found situated in a barn near the water tower, but then moved into what is another family to join her childcare afterwards, and kept on going now called the Bistro on campus. Then in the late 70’s it was moved to stronger than ever. its present location, in the Corby building, which previously held dorm Kathy returned to college as a non-traditional student at Mount rooms for girls. Times have changed and the center occasionally has Marty when she was thirty seven years old. She started taking a class some rare openings for the general public, if it works within the child each semester while simultaneously running her child care business. care’s hours of operation. Kathy has been to countless weddings and Handmade with love! Knitting and crocheting is fun and relaxing. You’ll be creating handmade, one-of-a-kind gifts and fashions too! Huge selection of yarns, hooks, knitting needles, and patterns. 909 Broadway, Tripp Park Plaza 605-689-3999 • www.eweknitit.com Open: Monday-Friday 10am-6pm • Saturday 9am-3pm Buying or selling… let’s begin this journey together. Tara Portillo Realtor Cell: 605-760-3304 tarap@iw.net Office: 605-665-7407 122 W. 3rd, Yankton HERVOICEvNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018v5