From “Winding Up the Yarn” — Colfax’s first women bus drivers

COLFAX  —  Helen Reed, co-owner of the Colfax Messenger, wrote a column in the 1960s called “Winding Up the Yarn.”

In the August 24, 1967, edition of the Messenger, Helen wrote about the first women bus drivers for the Colfax school district.

Here is her account from “Winding Up the Yarn” —

When our local schools opened last fall, residents of Colfax were somewhat taken by surprise to see two women bus drivers report for duty.

Never had the school hired members of the fairer sex to drive buses before, and although women have driven cars for quite a number of years now, it still was startling to see a lady bus driver.

Mrs. Jack Christianson [Margaret] and Mrs. Daniel Kiekhafer [Mary], therefore established a “first” for Colfax when they presented themselves at school ready to take out two buses, pick up the children along their designated routes and return them home safe and sound.

“I was picking cucumbers one day,” said Mrs. Christianson, “and I just made up my mind there must be an easier way to make extra money than doing that, so I applied for work as a bus driver.”

Following her application, Marge found that she really had to “hit the books” in order to pass the rigid written and oral examination given prospective bus drivers. Hers was especially difficult for she chose to drive one of the big 54-passenger buses, and the traffic officer who gave the examination was very exacting. So much depends upon the driver that it behooved him to be particular about every minute detail.

Last winter and spring, as well we all remember, weren’t easy ones for any driver of buses much less two who were strictly novice. They learned where the bad places were along their routes such as big hills to get up and down when it was icy; the nasty sharp turns and curves; the snow laden, low-hanging tree branches; the railroad crossings; and the narrow bridges.

Marge recalls that on three consecutive mornings, her bus was stuck in drifts of snow, and she had to shovel it out, racing with time as she did it, but managing nevertheless. “And we weren’t very late, either,” she said.

Mrs. Kiekhafer drove a smaller bus — a station wagon — and her passengers were the wee kindergarten children.

“I like to drive,” said Mary, “and when I learned the school needed bus drivers, I decided to apply for the kindergarten children route. It’s really fun to come and get them and take them home because they are so little and so confident that I will take care of them.”

Her biggest problem, perhaps, was to keep her tiny passengers from standing up in the back seat. They wanted to see out, and it’s pretty hard for them to do it sitting down, but her persistent nagging does keep them seated.

“It’s laughable how many names I was called,” said Mary. “Each little one had quite a struggle to remember that I’m Mrs. Kiekhafer, so I was called ‘Mrs. Keefer’ along with many variations. One little boy solved the problem by calling me, ‘Mrs. Bus Driver.’”

One spring morning found Mary and her bus loaded with two wriggly passengers practically falling into a water hole in the yard of one of her riders. Since there was no help at hand to get the bus out, she had to leave the children in the care of the lady of house while she went to find a telephone to call for help.

Water sloshed around in her boots as she pushed into a cold, cutting northwest wind, and walking as rapidly as she could under the circumstances, a salesman came along and offered her a ride to a telephone. She accepted with alacrity.

“Although,” she admitted, “my mother always used to warn me against riding with strangers.”

Finally Mary located someone to get her bus out of the hole, and she finished the route and brought her little charges to school.

And what were the parents’ reaction to the feminine school bus drivers? Both ladies agreed that no one appeared worried and just took it as a matter of course. It pleased Marge and Mary to have that confidence in their ability as drivers so they will drive again this school term to hold it.

This fall, another lady driver has joined the ranks of bus drivers here in Colfax. She is Mrs. George Maukstad. George drove a bus last year while Barbara took charge of their gas station while he was on duty. This year, Barbara chose to be the driver. “When it gets really rough,” says she, “I’ll just let George do it.”