‘School mom’ to ‘school grandma’: Secretary has served students for 52 years

ELGIN, Neb. (KOLN/Gray News) -Brenda Kuhlman opens the door to greet students each morning at Pope John XXIII Central Catholic School, where she has worked for more than 50 years.

“And they’re so happy to be here. And yes, the morning hugs are wonderful,” Kuhlman said.

Kuhlman has been the school’s administrative assistant and office manager since she was 17.

“So my electives, I did the shorthand, the bookkeeping, the typing, and all of that,” Kuhlman said. “And it was probably about December of my senior year, the administrator asked me if I would be interested because the secretary that was here was moving on.”

Kuhlman said the Catholic school opened in 1967, eight years before she started this job. She grew up southwest of Clearwater, Nebraska, and attended a country school before high school in Elgin.

“It was a big adjustment going from maybe four in my class to 56 in high school,” she said.

Kuhlman met her husband at the school and raised six children south of Raeville. Now her grandchildren attend Pope John Central Catholic.

“It’s been my life for that many years,” Kuhlman said.

The school serves eight parishes in surrounding communities. Kuhlman said students come to Elgin from communities including Raeville, Petersburg, Neligh, Clearwater and Ewing.

“I just remember coming here as a 7th grader. And Brenda just became that like school mom for us,” said Lauren Borer, who returned to her alma mater as a teacher. “And now that my kids go here, like they kind of see her as like the school grandma.”

Today, the school has about 130 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade. Kuhlman keeps the school running smoothly for all of them.

“It’s kind of cute when you see students, the younger students, like if you’re shopping or in church and they’re going, what are you doing here? I thought you lived at school,” Kuhlman said.

Deb Warren says she’s known Kuhlman “forever.” Warren attended class with Kuhlman and graduated in 1972. Then she served as the development director while Kuhlman worked in the office.

“Oh, she’s driven. She is a detailed kind of person. So depending on what job you’re working or if you’re doing fundraising or something, Brenda knows all the details,” Warren said. “She keeps the school running like a well-oiled machine for sure.”

Kuhlman’s office duties range from managing funds to returning lost backpacks.

“Brenda gets invited to everyone’s graduation, everyone’s wedding, baby announcements. She’s just well thought of by both the parents, but also their kids,” Warren said.

Kuhlman continues to add to scrapbooks that preserve school history.

“So she knows the stories and the history, but most importantly, she knows the people. And so if we ever have a question about what happened, way back when, she knows everything,” Borer said.

The scrapbooks include photographs of graduates that she also displays in her office.

“And it seems like you get attached to the classes, more attached as I get older for some reason, and it’s hard to see some of them leave,” Kuhlman said. “And just stop in to visit. That’s great to see them do that.”

Leaving her desk and duties at the school someday would be even harder for Kuhlman.

“I guess as long as my health holds out and stuff, I’ll keep working, or until they kick me out, one of the two,” Kuhlman joked.

After 52 years, Kuhlman is in no hurry to retire, not while she’s watching generations grow up in Elgin.