School board member, community leader recognized

Local resident Janet Braun has many fond memories of her longtime friend, Becky Weddle, who died Oct. 14 at the age of 68.

Braun said when she moved to Fort Scott in 1975, Weddle was already living in the house next door. The two women would be neighbors and friends for the next 35 years. They supervised each other's three children, gave them rides to activities, and answered their questions, Braun said.

Cooking was also a favorite hobby of Weddle's, who at one point owned a catering business with a friend.

"Becky liked to cook," she said. "She often invited neighborhood children into her kitchen to make cookies, or bake bread. At Christmastime, she gave out homemade goodies to everyone in the neighborhood."

Weddle was also very devoted to her family and always had a couple of pets living at her house that she thought of as "friends" and seemed like members of her family, Braun said.

"Becky loved doing things with her family," she said. "She enjoyed going to her grandchildren's ballgames and cheering them on. Her grandchildren also liked to spend time at her house."

Braun said Weddle, a former teacher, was also a good listener and mediator.

"Becky listened to both sides of every story and usually found a way to encourage both parties to understand the other side," she said. "She was a true peacemaker."

Braun and Weddle also served on the USD 234 Board of Education. Weddle was on the board from 1981-2001, and from 2009-10. This week, the board recognized her with a moment of silence at its regular monthly meeting.

Additionally, the two friends were instrumental in creating the annual Good Ol' Days street festival in 1982. That year, the festival only took place on Saturday and included various activities taking place at locations across town such as the swimming pool and Gunn Park, Braun said.

The event was so successful in its first year that it expanded the next year to a full weekend. That year, Weddle and Braun joined the event's steering committee, which decided to conduct as many of the festival's activities as possible in the downtown area.

Weddle was not only a founding member of the Good Ol' Days, she was also a former chairwoman of the event -- a position she still held at the time of her death.

"Becky's calming attitude and ability to listen made her a natural to become the chairperson," Braun said.

USD 234 Board of Education President Matt Ida, who has served on the board for about 11 years, said Weddle was "always involved.

"She always had the best interest of the school district and the community in mind. ... She cared," he said. "She wanted to devote her time and energy to the district, and I have great respect for that."

Weddle brought an educator's perspective to the board, much like Braun, also a former teacher, has continued to do for the last several years.

"Everyone brings different experience to the table," Ida said. "It takes the combined experience and knowledge of the board to get it done. I admired the desire she had to serve the district."

Weddle taught Spanish and English as a second language at Fort Scott Community College and was also an individual student tutor. As a civic leader, Weddle drove initiatives that continue to impact people in the community today. She was on the original committee responsible for the renovation of Fort Scott High School and also worked to have bonds passed to support the development of a new middle school and high school. She was also a co-founder of the local League of Women Voters.

During this week's school board meeting, members directed USD 234 Business Manager Alan Drake to begin the process to consider filling the board vacancy left by Weddle.