The community and generations of Mountain Home students are remembering a teacher who broadened their horizons by opening up the world through her love of language and culture.
Nancy Reed of Gassville, known to her students as “Frau,” the retired German teacher and founder of Mountain Home Public Schools’ (MHPS) German American Partnership Program (GAPP), passed away Saturday in Mountain Home at age 78.
In 1983, Reed launched GAPP as a way for young people to experience life in another country not as tourists, but as part of a family and community. Under her guidance, the partnership between Mountain Home and Germany grew to its 26th exchange this past spring. The trips fostered lifelong friendships and opened doors for local students in rural northern Arkansas that otherwise would have never been possible.
MH students on recent GAPP trip to Germany
Each exchange typically brought about 20 German students to Mountain Home, where they stayed with host families and attended school. Later, Mountain Home students would take the return trip to Germany with their beloved teacher for an immersive experience that brought the classroom to life.
Like so many others, MHPS Superintendent Allison Dewey’s connection with Frau Reed began first as a student, then as a parent, and finally as a colleague.
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It was the gentle encouragement of Frau Reed that convinced current GAPP director Herr Chris Francis to take on the program following her retirement. It wasn’t until he fully stepped into her former role did he realize how much she had given of herself to make the GAPP program what it is today.
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Superintendent Dewey notes that the German teacher’s students often discovered a confidence that stayed with them long after the trip across the Atlantic.
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Frau Reed facilitated the creation of relationships that according to Herr Francis continues to this day.
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During her 35-year teaching career, Reed’s dedication earned both national and international recognition. In 1993, she received the National Certificate of Merit from the American Association of Teachers of German, after being nominated by German professors at several Arkansas universities. That same year, the City of Schorndorf, Germany, awarded her the Daimler Medallion one of its highest honors recognizing her work in fostering cultural understanding through student exchange. She marked her retirement from teaching in 2016.
In the days since her passing, former students and colleagues have shared heartfelt messages online, calling her “the teacher everyone wanted to have” and saying, “Frau was my absolute favorite educator, and she gave me the most amazing experience in GAPP. She will be missed so very much.”
A visitation will be held Wednesday from 5 until 7 at Roller Funeral Home. A memorial service is planned for Thursday morning at 10 at Roller Funeral Home with private burial to follow.
Bis wir uns wiedersehen…
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