PROF I LE
Elizabeth Lindley G U A R D I A N • G R A N D M O T H E R • H O T C H O C O L AT E F A N
By Stacy Moser
T
he children of Oakhurst Elementary School are in good hands. Elizabeth Lindley is there to make sure they are. She’s worked as a crossing guard outside the school for the last 33 years—making sure the kids get where they’re going without so much as a scratch. Rain or shine, she’s shown up at 7:15 in the morning to escort them through the traffic and into the building. Then, she comes back at 2:15 to guide them across the street and on their way home. When asked how she came by this unique job, she explains, “When my two daughters were in grade school, a policeman who knew me asked me to replace a guard who quit.” That was back in the early 1980s—fast forward to 2018 and she’s still at it. “My husband passed and I decided I’d retire last December. I stayed home for about two weeks . . . but I got tired of it right away, so I decided to come out of retirement,” she laughs. “I went to the police department, got back my uniform and went to work.”
[
[
OR A FEW WORDS.
Her two daughters are grown now and Elizabeth is blessed with six grandchildren. But she treasures her extended family of Oakhurst Elementary students. “They run up to me in the morning and say, ‘Good morning, Miss Lindley!’ I tell them that they make my day. And I say, ‘Have a good day at school! Be sure to learn your ABCs!’ You make a difference in a few minutes or a few words.” Then she adds, “Sometimes the parents bring me a cookie or a cup of hot chocolate when it’s cold. There are some super parents there and the kids are so special.”
MyIT_018-023_PROFILES_PETS_EVENTS_0318.indd 21
She says of the traffic near the school, “Oh man! I nearly was hit one day! You have to watch those cars. It’s like on the freeway—people have their coffee, so they’re not paying attention. Praise God, I’ve never had even one incident.” Elizabeth’s sister lives five blocks from the school, so Elizabeth goes to her house after guard duty for a cup of coffee and a chat. She says she’s not one to go out socially, but she gets more than enough hugs and conversation when she’s with her “crossing kids.” CSDecatur.net/Oakhurst
my
SPRING 2018
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOCIALFOTOFLY.COM.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY S. SHAYNE HARGIS.
YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN A FEW MINUTES
21 2/19/18 2:04 PM