The Grand Marshall for the 2007 Valley Fair Daze parade was Erma Doty. I read the article in the Pointe and believe me, this wonderful lady has done a number of different things in Grain Valley. I am proud to write this article but will only pick out some of the items as it was a very long article.
Erma has been part of Grain Valley for 86 years. She was born July 30th, 1921 at home on Ryan Road. She was the first child born to Byrl and Ona Baumgardner and big sister to Dale her sibling born 8 years later.
Erma attended the Stony Point rural school, walking with neighbor kids about three miles each way. She was always a member of a 4-H club, learning how to cook, sew and raise cattle and sheep. In 1934, Erma graduated from the one room schoolhouse along with two friends who has been classmates during the entire grade school years. She only had two different teachers during those grade school years.
She then went into town for the next 4 years to attend and graduate from Grain Valley High School. All 4 rural schools in the district were closed after her last year in Stony Point. The parents took turns transporting the country kids to and from the school in Grain Valley. The school buses were started in her second year in High School.
School was great, they had about 100 student in 12 grades, all attending in the one building. It was a great four years with lots of fun classes, but before she realized it, it was the spring of 1938 and they were graduating. There were parties, picnics and lots of celebrating.
Erma worked at the Bank of Grain Valley the summer she graduated at the request of Mr. Warren, the President. She then enrolled in college at Central Missouri State Teacher's College in Warrensburg. There were no dorms so Erma and a friend shared a tiny little apartment.
Her three years plus prepared her for graduation in 1941 and her first application turned out good, she was accepted to teach business classes at Knob Noster, Missouri. Even today, Erma has a close relationship with the senior students of that year and she joins them every June for a class reunion.
In 1942, the Grain Valley Schools asked if she would teach at Grain Valley. This involved a pay increase to what she was currently earning and she knew she would love to teach in her home town where she was a Business teacher for 5 years. To become a better teacher, she went to Kansas City to teach and learned a lot in the next 5 years.
Erma married Bob Doty in 1946 went on to have 4 children. During the time away from teaching she went to work at the Bank of Grain Valley again and also at Harmon Electronics. When she went back to teaching it was in the elementary level for 4 years before moving back to teach business classes again.
Erma retired and her and Bob enjoyed their friends, children and grandchildren, traveling spending summer at their lake home. Erma had a still had a passion to teach and began teaching piano at Meyer Music in Blue Springs. She still gives lessons from home today.
Erma continued to be involved in the Grain Valley community through the GV Historical Society, Optimist Club of Grain Valley serving in various different positions in both organizations. She has volunteered at St. Mary's Hospital since it opened 26 years ago and can be found every Wednesday at the information desk and has received the President's Service award for over 8,000 logged in hours. Erma is also active as a member of the Blue Springs Christian Church and highlighted for her contributions and volunteerism.
Erma's mother graduated from Grain Valley, as well as her own 4 children and two daughter-in-laws. Two of her seven grandchildren graduated from GVHS with one more due to graduate in 2011.
What a life she had. Congratulations, selecting you for the Grand Marshall was such an honor and I personally have learned a lot about Erma Doty.
