Librarian leaves special gift before retiring

Box Elder Schools' Librarian Jacqueline L. Hanson may be retiring this year, but she wanted to leave something meaningful behind even after she is no longer walking the halls.

Wednesday morning, Hanson, with her husband, Art, presented to Box Elder Superintendent Jeremy MacDonald a James Pasma bronze sculpture of Chief Rocky Boy they wanted to donate before Hanson finished her last working school year.

The sculpture, which is 18 inches tall and is verified as #6, is supposed to be one of 100 bronze castings made, Hanson said.

Pasma, a Havreite who was a nationally recognized sculptor, died in 1999.

Hanson said Pasma's friend Bill Thackeray said even though there were supposed to be 100 bronzed, it is impossible to know how many are actually out there.

Hanson, who has worked in education for 35 years with the last 25 being at Box Elder Schools, said she bought the statue about two years ago from her friend Lois Kuhn, who had bought the statue in 1976 during the United States Bicentennial.

The statue was being stored in Kuhn's house, Hanson said, and she thought it might be a nice addition to Box Elder School. Her friend, though, was nervous to let the statue out of her house without it being purchased, she added, so the Hansons decided to buy it themselves.

She hoped the school would be able to buy the statue from her eventually, Hanson said, because she felt it belonged at the school. School fundraisers and different events she was hoping would be held to raise money for the purchase were, unfortunately never organized, she said.

When she decided to retire, Hanson said, she and her husband decided to donate the bronze statue to the school she spent the majority of her career at.

"We told (the administration) as long as they keep it here, we will donate it to the school," she added.