Photo by Samantha Davis Lois Widmark,103, of Ivanhoe sits in her living room with her cat, Muggins, on Feb. 17. Widmark is SMSU’s oldest living alumna and was a teacher for over 20 years.

IVANHOE — Upon sitting down at her dining room table filled with pictures of family and memories, her cat, Muggins, curiously makes his way through the chairs as 103-year-old Lois Widmark of Ivanhoe reflects on her life as a teacher, and shares advice with the next generation of educators. 

Widmark is Southwest Minnesota State University’s oldest living alumna, and is a 1971 charter class graduate with an elementary education degree. Being a part of SMSU’s first graduating class, she was given a ‘Charter Class’ brick as a piece of the new university being built on the prairie. 

Born in White Owl, S.D., on Jan. 1, 1922, Widmark became a kindergarten teacher for over 20 years in Lake Benton after starting her career in Arco for a year, before the school closed. She retired in 1988, but continued to substitute teach around the area. 

“I taught in Arco for one year. I had third and fourth grade with only nine students — Five third graders and four fourth graders,” Widmark said. “(For Lake Benton), I went to see the superintendent then, and he took the credit for hiring me. I went to see him when he was in sick in the hospital in Hendricks, and he said, ‘You know, that’s the best thing I ever did, is when I hired you.'” 

Widmark spent time growing up in Lincoln, Neb., where she first got a two-year teaching degree from Dana College in Blair, Neb. She later on took part-time courses at SMSU while holding down a full-time teaching job, and was put ahead in the program due to her previous degree that allowed her to graduate in the charter class. 

When thinking back on her times spent in the classroom, Widmark couldn’t help but smile when remembering her students.  

“I could hardly make myself stay home, which I wasn’t very often,” Widmark said. “They (students) were so eager, and they love their teacher. Those 5- and 6-year-olds love their teachers.” 

Widmark has three children: Dianne Bunjer, Alan Widmark and Jackie Dombek. 

For a couple years, Widmark, Bunjer and Alan were all students at SMSU at the same time. Alan played on the Mustangs’ inaugural football team in 1968, and Bunjer graduated also with an elementary education degree in 1973. 

The three, however, never crossed paths on campus, as Widmark took night and summer classes, since she was already teaching at the time. 

To honor their mother’s legacy and support future teachers, Alan has been working with SMSU to create a scholarship in Widmark’s name: The Lois Widmark Education Scholarship. 

“It was a shock. I didn’t know Alan had gone through all this trouble,” Widmark said, smiling. “I’m just learning a lot about it.” 

Alan has established a scholarship fund to assist students pursuing an education degree, and has hopes to award the inaugural scholarship in spring 2025. The goal of the scholarship is to support a student going into student-teaching near the end of their program. 

“I know how important scholarships are. I walked on, and then after the first year, I ended up getting a scholarship for three years to play football,” Alan said. “I know the need for something like that, and with my mom’s (background in) education, we decided that teaching school was very important to her. That’s where I came up with the idea.” 

Alan hopes to continue the scholarship for years to come. He said he’s been having good traction with receiving support funds, as Widmark has a loved community behind her. 

As part of the fundraiser for the scholarship, the family is offering donors a photography book of Widmark, a hard copy of an audio interview detailing her life, and a hand-written memoir she is currently writing herself that reflects on key moments and memories that have shaped her, titled “Echoes of My Life.” 

Community members wanting to support the Widmark family’s scholarship fundraising efforts can reach out to Alan at lwidmarkscholarship@gmail.com. 

Widmark has run into previous students of hers over the years. 

“I taught the girls how to knit and crochet, and a (former student’s daughter) said that her mother told her she has enjoyed (knitting) all her life because I taught her how to do it,” Widmark said. 

Widmark also said another student found her after being mentioned in a SMSU newsletter when she turned 100. 

“She was actually in one of my first classes,” Widmark said. “So now, I write to her off and on, and she has stopped here to visit me.” 

A close connection formed recently, as a neighbor was talking with family about Widmark and discovered another one of her past students. 

“These neighbors that moved in here south of me, they came from Fairmont. They were talking about me and how I taught kindergarten, and one of the guys they know go, ‘Oh my gosh, she was my teacher,'” Widmark said. “He sent them a picture of me with him as his kindergarten teacher, and they’ve been just so thrilled about it.” 

Widmark acknowledged the dedication and commitment teaching takes, and when it comes to giving advice for current students about becoming a teacher, she boldly said, “Go ahead and do it. It’s great.” 

Widmark originally moved to Ivanhoe in 1949 with her late husband, Arnold, after they married in March 1948. 

While she lived in Nebraska before attending Dana College, Widmark enlisted in the Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), and served from July 1944 to 1946 as code-breaker based in Washington, D.C. She had a role unraveling Japanese communication codes during World War II. 

Widmark is the oldest of eight siblings, and still keeps in touch with those she can. 

“I was the only one that came to Minnesota,” Widmark said. “I had a sister in Silver Spring, Maryland. My youngest brother ended up in Loveland, Colorado, and he’s 87 now. We talk every week, and I call my sister in Arkansas every Wednesday night.” 

Widmark also still drives, which she recently got back after getting some work done with wiring and a new fuel pump. 

“I have a ’96 Oldsmobile. I bought it when it was used in ’98, and I’ve been driving that car ever since,” Widmark said. 

As an avid quilter, Widmark also enjoys reading and collecting elephant figures. She’s gathered hundreds over the years from across the world, and has them placed throughout her living room to pair along with photos of her grandchildren. 

“I started collecting just things I could put on the shelf, but now I have all of these. I’ve given some of them to a children’s hospital in Sioux Falls,” Widmark said. 

As Muggins, who’s about 4 years old, made his way curiously around the living room stopping by his toys, he made his way back to Widmark to be picked up. 

“He’s named after a horse we had when I was a kid,” Widmark said. “He likes sitting on my lap, he watches television. Saturday and Sunday morning at 6 a.m., there’s one called ‘Oh Baby,’ and it’s got all kinds of little animals.” 

Widmark, who said she’d like to go dancing and roller skating growing up, likes to keep busy with yard work and finding something to do. 

“I would say when she was teaching, we knew where she was,” Dombek said. “But, when she retired, we had no clue. Even today, you can call her and it’s like I don’t know if she’s going to be home or not.” 

Previous Ivanhoe Mayor Dennis Klingbile honored Widmark as one of his last duties in office by making a birthday proclamation for her in January, when she recently celebrated her 103rd birthday. 

“I don’t know what I did, but God granted me all these years,” Widmark said, with a hand over her heart. “Maybe just to keep everyone going.” 

Dombek went in for a hug with her mom, gathering in the dining room. 

“Remember, we said five more (birthdays) minimum,” Dombek said. “One at a time.” 

Widmark glanced over a few more photos scattered around the kitchen table, reflecting happily about the careers she’s upheld and the memories she’s made. 

“I’m probably just getting in somebody’s way,” Widmark said jokingly. “But, I’m striving for my next birthday.”