“Gregory Girl”
Words and music by Leslie Speirs
with Mrs. Burke’s 4th Grade Class
©2023 Leslie Speirs
Once upon a time, a little country girl,
Grew up milking cows in Gregory.
As oldest of four brothers, she got down on her knees,
And prayed hard for a sister, pretty please!
Well, the Lord did give her two, and another brother due,
And off to country school the family went.
It was a lot of fun, playing games and working sums,
They didn’t even mind the outhouse scent!
Then when High School came around, it was scary goin’ to town,
But the Gregory girl faced it brave within.
And it all turned out okay when at a country dance she swayed
With a man We know as “Denny”, her husband and best friend.
Chorus
Kindhearted lady, sunny soul of light.
Full of love, full of smiles, full of life.
Teaching by example, modeled what was right,
And all who know her love her, star of Gregory, shining bright.
Off to Black Hills State, she knew teaching was her fate.
And Spearfish was her favorite place to be.
A science buff she was, she made it fun and all because,
She was born into this role of Mrs. “C”.
Great honor came her way when to Japan she went to stay.
For six whole weeks she taught and she observed.
Learning all the while, in her cheery, can-do style,
She became the kind of teacher kids deserved.
Classroom trips to Mount Rushmore, full of funny stories galore,
She just loved kids and it was meant to be.
And students young and old, remember her heart of gold,
Always giving of Herself, gen’rously.
Chorus
Through the good times and the struggles, Star of Gregory, still shines bright!
Kathy Christensen was born in 1951 at Gregory, South Dakota. She is the oldest of eight children. The family lived and worked on their farm near Gregory. Kathy has fond memories of growing up as a country girl. Milking cows was one of the everyday chores she helped with. Needing to put the “kickers” on the cows so they wouldn’t kick you while milking, was her least favorite job. Her love of animals grew from growing up as a farm kid.
Kathy was destined to be a school teacher. She loved school. One of her favorite memories as a child is walking to an old vacant school building, not far from their farm, and playing school with her siblings. Grandma Anderson played a key role in Kathy’s younger years. She was a great influence on Kathy with her knowledge and kind ways. Kathy has many memories of spending time with her. When she would stay in town at their home, Grandma would ask her if she had a tummy ache and Kathy would quickly say yes. This meant a 7Up ice cream float would be served to help with that “tummy ache.”
Upon graduating from country school, high school in town was Kathy’s next step. She was very nervous and asked her cousins what size of a box of crayons she would need for high school. They quickly explained no crayons were needed!
Kathy’s high school years were spent making memories and hanging out with friends. They were all sure to wear pants under their dresses since this was the fad at that time. Her favorite memory is hanging out at the Corner Café where they shared french fries with gravy.
She met her husband, Denny, at a dance after being introduced by another family member. Kathy fell in love and he is the person who has had the most positive influence on her life. She shares the love of country music with him since music is how they met.
While her family is a military family, Kathy did not join the military. However, she is a great supporter of military personnel and their families.
Kathy attended Black Hills State College and graduated with a teaching degree. Her love of Spearfish kept her here waiting for a teaching job to come available. While waiting, she worked as a dental assistant. She enjoyed this job, but was so excited to get a teaching job in Spearfish.
Kathy taught grades K-5, but her favorite was 4th grade and she spent the majority of her 42 years teaching that grade. She has many wonderful memories of teaching. She fondly remembers going to Mt. Rushmore with our teacher and having a tree get hit by lightning as they were walking by which meant a quick run to the bus! Another time their classes were at Mt. Rushmore and it was very hot. Kathy asked our teacher if they should get an ice cream treat for the kids. Well, they didn’t realize how expensive that kind gesture ended up being! If you’ve bought ice cream there, you understand.
Kathy retired in 2016. She continued to be a substitute teacher until cancer decided to throw her a curve ball in 2022. With her positive attitude she won over cancer!
During her teaching years, she was asked to join a group of educators from across the country that spent six weeks in Japan teaching and learning. She didn’t think twice about accepting this wonderful offer. Kathy has taught our class so much about Japan and their schools.
Kathy and Denny have one son, Dustin, daughter-in-law Heather, and two grandchildren, Tyler and Talia. She is so proud of them and their accomplishments in life. She enjoys spending time with them and making memories.
Since retiring, Kathy and Denny are able to spend time camping and fishing. She is quick to tell us not to leave the awning out on your camper when you go to bed as the wind really can tear it off. She enjoys fishing with Denny, and also Dustin, if he can join them. However, she doesn’t fish, she reads a book. She hopes to keep with that boat plan and go on a cruise one day.
One of Kathy’s favorite activities is scrapbooking. She has made wonderful scrapbooks for her son and grandchildren. She is always eager to spend a weekend with fellow scrapbooking friends.
When we asked Kathy what she wants to be remembered for she was quick to tell us “Being kind and spreading kindness.” We can all learn a lot from watching Kathy as she spreads kindness everywhere she goes. She definitely believes that it is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice.
Thank you, Kathy, for sharing your story with us. We have enjoyed getting to know you and look forward to sharing more fun times with you!