PRAIRIE GROVE -- More than 30 years ago, Betty Henry agreed to help out and drive a school bus for Prairie Grove for a few days.
Her few days turned into 33 years. Henry drove a school bus for the last time May 29, the last day of school for Prairie Grove School District.
"That was my few days," Henry said, before taking the wheel her last day. "I never had an intention of driving a school bus."
Henry said a person was not hired to take her bus and she stayed with it.
"I sorta liked it so I just kept driving," Henry said.
Her bus route is in town and takes about 30 minutes but she had driven longer bus routes out in Washington County in past years.
She mostly has stayed with it for 33 years because she liked the children. She did not drive buses for field trips or other trips out of town, noting she tried one trip and decided she did not want to be gone all day.
Besides driving a bus, Henry said she has stayed busy. She worked at Prairie Grove Health and Rehabilitation Center for 11 years, has been a substitute teacher, worked in the school cafeteria and has assisted senior adults.
Now that she is retiring as a bus driver, she said she plans to "goof around" and "do as I please." She said she likes to spend time in her yard, at home and with her friends.
William Dixon, the district's transportation director, said he will miss Henry. Prairie Grove has 16 drivers and 14 bus routes. Renee Robinson will take Dixon's route next year.
"She has passed on a lot of wisdom," Dixon said.
Olan Vickory has been driving a school bus for Prairie Grove for 30 years and he considers Henry a "second mom."
He added, "Everybody loved Ms. Betty."
Third-grader Rylee Poplin has been on Henry's bus this year and he said Henry is "polite, nice, awesome and fun."
"She gave us candy on the last day last year," said Kohner Fenner, another one of Henry's bus riders.
Henry said she only has one regret as a bus driver: "I never had a new bus."
General News on 07/01/2015