District 709 honors former employees Kay and Ike Reardon with a flagpole

MORTON — A frantic search for Kay Reardon was being conducted a year ago.

Law enforcement agencies, private pilots and a group driving all-terrain vehicles were among those looking for the beloved Morton District 709 school bus monitor and spry 83-year-old from Morton who swam three times a week at an indoor athletic club and also enjoyed snow skiing, bowling, fishing and traveling.

Reardon didn’t return home after visiting her sister-in-law Nov. 23, 2014, at an assisted living facility in Normal.

Her body was found Nov. 30, 2014, in her submerged car in Evergreen Lake near Hudson in McLean County. Improvements — including new lighting — have been made in the area of Comlara Park where Reardon’s vehicle went into the lake.

On Monday, one year after the tragic discovery in the lake, a new flagpole at District 709’s transportation facility on Courtland Avenue will be dedicated in memory of Reardon, a bus monitor since 1994, and her husband, Ike Reardon, who was a school bus driver for the district from 1965 to 1990. He died Nov. 8, 1994.

Together, Kay and Ike Reardon worked for the district for 45 years. They also were married for 45 years.

The date of the 4:30 p.m. flagpole dedication is intentional. Those who worked with Kay wanted to brighten a sad day. A plaque will be added to the site in the near future.

“Kay was an inspiration to all of us and everybody loved Kay,” said Nancy Weigle, the district’s transportation director. “She never said a bad word about anyone, and she was so loving, caring and giving to the children of the district. If a student was having a bad day, she’d always say, ‘We’ll work it out.’”

Kay was a monitor on buses that transported early childhood, Head Start and kindergarten students.

Several district bus drivers went to Lakeview Cemetery in Pekin for Kay’s burial in the bus that Kay was working in as a monitor at the time of her death.

District transportation department employees wanted to honor Kay, and the flagpole idea along with honoring Ike emerged from discussions with family members.

Kay and Ike were patriotic and active in veterans organizations. Ike, a veteran, often carried the U.S. flag during parades.

Donations from the transportation department, District 709, Morton American Legion Post 318 and its auxiliary and family members paid the $2,095 cost for the flagpole, flag and installation. The flagpole was installed Oct. 19 by Peoria Flag & Decorating Company.

Marlynn Gunn of Morton, a teacher for 37 years in District 709 who retired in 2011 after 21 years at Grundy Elementary School, is one of Kay and Ike Reardon’s two daughters.

Her father was often the bus driver on her class’ field trips. He also regularly drove Morton Junior High School and Morton High School sports teams to competitions.

“My dad was a hard worker. He always had two jobs,” Gunn said. “He worked for the railroad while he was a school bus driver.”

Gunn said Kay’s co-workers were like a second family to her.

“My mom didn’t need to work, but she loved her job,” Gunn said. “She loved to sing to the kids.”

“Kay made up songs to help kids learn,” Weigle said. “For instance, she had a song so children would understand the importance of being quiet when the bus came to railroad crossings.”

Weigle has worked in the transportation department for 37 years, including the last 25 as director. She was a bus driver from 1979 to 1990, and Ike was her mentor when she started.

She hired Kay as a bus monitor after Kay retired from General Telephone & Electric Corporation. Kay previously worked at Caterpillar Inc., Morton Pottery and Libby’s.

Steve Stein can be reached at 686-3114 or stevestein21@yahoo.com. Read his Stein Time blog on pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpartanSteve.

If you go

What: Dedication of a flagpole in memory of Kay and Ike Reardon.

When: 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Where: Morton District 709 transportation facility, 250 W. Courtland Ave.