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Former teacher honored by local family
For the Observer-Reporter
newsroom@observer-reporter.com
CARMICHAELS - On Mother's Day last year, Carmichaels lost a much-loved member of the community.
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Nicknamed "Grandma Burch," the community developed affection for the woman described as religious, inspirational and passionate.
"Burch was a dedicated teacher. She cared about people, and she was kind of like our third grandmother," said Ed Chess who, along with his four sisters and one brother, grew up across the street from "Grandma Burch" on Old Waynesburg Road in Carmichaels.
"She danced at all of our weddings," said Chess. "We thought it was important to do something in her memory."
The Chess family decided to honor Burch and her dedication to teaching and the Carmichaels community by creating a scholarship fund.
The scholarship will benefit a Carmichaels Area High School senior planning to attend Burch's alma mater, California University of Pennsylvania, and major in education.
Burch attended Cal U. when it was California Normal School. During her teaching career, she taught at Brownsville Township Elementary School, Luzerne Township Elementary School and Carmichaels Area Elementary and Junior High schools.
Rob Cole, Carmichaels Elementary Center principal, had Burch as a seventh-grade math teacher.
"She put up with absolutely no horseplay," Cole said. "When you walked into her room, it was serious, and you were busy. There was no such thing as a discipline problem because she simply wouldn't allow it."
Cole said Burch was very small, short and thin.
"Most of the kids were probably bigger than her, but every kid in the room was intimidated by her as can be," Cole said. "I never made a sound in there," he added.
"My mother was not intimidating by her height but by her desire to have everybody succeed - her students, her children and the Chess family," said Ken Burch, Loretta Burch's son. "As a retired high school principal, I am elated that the Chess family would take the initiative to start this scholarship to inspire students to go into teaching. It's been my whole life, too."
Ken Burch served as principal for the Baltimore County Maryland Western School of Technology. Both of his sons and daughters-in-law also are involved in education.
The Burch family considers the scholarship a great tribute to a remarkable woman.
"Any time you can help someone financially, that's the biggest way you can impact their education," said Chess. "If we can give a little bit of a leg up, even if we're just paying for the books, it's a help."
To raise funds for the scholarship, the Chess family is organizing a Fun Run 5K/Walk 1K to be held in Carmichaels May 23.
The Chess and Burch families hope the Fun Run becomes an annual event in Carmichaels.
To participate in the Fun Run, runners or walkers may register online by visiting lorettaburchscholarshipfund.com. A $15 registration fee is required for individual runners or walkers. A $50 registration fee is required for teams of four. All proceeds benefit the Loretta Burch Scholarship Fund, and participants will receive a T-shirt.
Runners and walkers are asked to arrive at Carmichaels Area High School by 8:30 a.m., and the Fun Run will kick off at 9 a.m.
For more information, please contact Ed Chess by e-mail at lorettaburchscholarshipfund@gmail.com or by calling 724-942-4009.
