Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, June 15, 2016
(Photo by Dan Klapheke, Illinois Valley News)
Mary Rolfe, bus driver for 36 years, with her No. 3 bus Friday, June 10.
Bus driver retires after
36 years of service
By Dan Klapheke
IVN Staff Writer
After 36 years as a school bus driver in
Cave Junction, Mary Rolfe is lifting her foot
off the pedal.
Rolfe started as a bus driver for the Three
Rivers School District in 1980, when her first
child was in first grade.
“I actually seen this little tiny lady
driving this great big yellow bus, and I
thought, ‘She can do it, I can do it,’” Rolfe
said. “Then a month and a half I was doing it.”
Rolfe has driven under two bus numbers
since she started, the first being No. 4 and the
second No. 3. Her earlier routes were in Selma,
but most have been in Cave Junction.
Rolfe doesn’t remember what year she
got the bus she drives now. But to put it in
perspective, she got the bus at 500 miles and it
now has 386,000 miles.
“I just was thinking about this the other
day and I thought, ‘I’ve had this bus since it
was new,’” Rolfe said. “It’s cool.”
Over those miles, Rolfe said what’s
changed most is the behavior of her riders.
“The disrespect, it’s awful,” Rolfe said.
“That’s why my last two years have been
really hard to hang in there because my boys
never acted that way. Not even in their adults
lives.”
Until an alternative school was set up,
Rolfe said dealing with poor behavior was one
of the most challenging aspects of the job.
“Especially on the other kids having to
watch that they were getting away with it,”
Rolfe said. “So that was really hard, you know,
driving the bus and having this person flying
off the handle is not good.”
Despite behavioral issues, Rolfe said she
loved picking up the children and dropping
them off, and the children themselves.
“All those little people, and the bigger
ones that wanna hug and we can’t hug,” Rolfe
said. “And the little ones, they do sneak in
those little hugs. They’re so cute.”
Rolfe has driven the bus long enough to
drive children of her former riders, as well as
her own children and grandchildren.
“I have two,” Rolfe said, referring to her
own children. “Not counting all the ones I’ve
had on my bus.”
Among the Three Rivers School District
bus drivers, Rolfe has the most years under her
belt by a long shot. Mel, another driver, is the
closest with 16 years.
“She’s a good person,” Mel said. “Really
good person. Thirty-six years; that says a lot.”
Bob Madden, a third year driver, joked
about how long Rolfe had been at it.
“They still had holes in the floor cut out
for your feet,” Madden said, laughing. “When
Mary started we were all still in diapers.”
Ron Baker, a sixth year driver, chimed in
as well.
“Trees don’t live that long,” Baker said.
“She’ll be back,” Madden said.
“She’ll miss us too much,” Baker added.
“She’s gotta come back.”
The bus drivers are family, Rolfe said,
and it’s one of her favorite parts of the job.
Rolfe doesn’t leave the Valley much--her
first time leaving the area was in 1987, when
she flew to Atlanta to look at used buses. But
Rolfe said she does have travel plans.
“Up Caves Highway to the campground,”
Rolfe said as to where she’ll be going.
“Twenty miles or so down the road there’s a
nice campground, too. Maybe Crescent City.”
Rolfe’s retirement plans are mostly in
Cave Junction.
“My yard needs my attention,” Rolfe said
as for what she’ll be doing. She’s also excited
about spending more time with her mother,
which will give Rolfe’s sister time off from
taking care of her.
To celebrate Rolfe’s retirement, her
fellow bus drivers set up a surprise potluck
lunch Friday, June 10, at the bus garage beside
Evergreen Elementary School. Rolfe’s co-
workers brought food and hid in the garage,
then bombarded her with silly string once she
got back from her route before she even got to
the door.
Inside the garage, a table with flowers,
cards and gifts was set up. It brought Rolfe to
tears.
“They just…,” Rolfe said, then trailed
off, choking up. “I mean more to them than
what I thought. It’s awesome.”
R ed G aRteR
ARt’S
Friday, 6/17
Hog Wild
Saturday, 6/18
Willie & the
Poor boys
9 p.m.
Page A-9
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