(PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
FOND FAREWELL … (Left to Right) Kelly Chappuis, Linda Woodall, and Connie Aeschliman spend the afternoon celebrating Linda’s retirement – in style.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
It was a reception filled with laughter, memories, and more than a few heartfelt hugs as the Stryker Library celebrated the retirement of Linda Woodall, a beloved librarian and former elementary school teacher whose impact on her community spans generations.
After a rewarding career in the classroom, Linda found herself drawn to the library not long after she retired from teaching.
When asked what made her take on a new role, she simply replied, “Well, I love children’s books, I like the Stryker community, and I didn’t want to substitute teach!”
Her enthusiasm for stories and learning found a perfect home among the book stacks and story hours of the library, where she continued to make a difference in young lives – this time, in a different setting.
Linda still found herself interacting with the younger students, even visiting the school to read to the children.
For the past 13 years, Linda has been a steady and welcoming presence at the library, touching the lives of countless children and families.
That love was on full display during her reception, as a stream of kids excitedly bustled in and out, eager to see “Miss Linda” one more time in her familiar role.
Linda’s involvement with the Stryker Library goes even deeper. She was there from the very beginning. As part of the building project, she stood at the groundbreaking when the site was just an empty lot.
She’s watched the library grow from the ground up and has been a part of its story every step of the way.
Her memories of her first day on the job are still fresh and bring a smile: Kelly and Connie were out front with a broken printer… “The ink toner was blown up all over the place!”
“And I wondered, ‘Okay, what’s next?’” That light-hearted moment set the tone for an unpredictable charm that would follow in her years of service.
As she moves on to enjoy retirement more fully, Linda says what she’ll miss the most is simple: “The people.” But she’s not going far–she remains an avid library user and continues to be active in the Friends of the Library, staying connected to the place she’s helped shape so meaningfully.
Linda Woodall’s time at the Stryker Library may be coming to a close, but her story is far from finished. Her legacy, much like the stories she so dearly loves, will continue to inspire young readers and her fellow community members for years to come.