Marilyn M. Loveland is known for her calm behavior, and her ability to capably and professionally handle any situation that cropped up. According to MLIVE.com, these traits have made this Michigan bus driver a valued member of the Grass Lake Community Schools for 50 years.
This year, at age 80, she turned over the keys to her bus and retired.
“She rarely took a day off,” said Doug Moeckel, Grass Lake’s director of transportation, community and cooperative services. “She was dependable in everything she did. She’s a very special person to all of us. We wish her the best and we’ll definitely miss her.”
Being a school bus driver was not a job Loveland aspired to, especially in 1966.
“It just happened,” she said. “There were only two women driving bus at that time and they were egging me on to do it. I wasn’t sure I could, but I talked to my mom and she said, ‘You can do it.’ So, I just had to make up my mind. I had driven a truck before, so I got familiar with it pretty fast.”
Throughout the years, Loveland delivered not only her own children safely to school, but her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, too. It’s the same with many of the families who lived along her route.
“The kids were pretty respectful, as I remember,” Jeanne Loveland, her daughter, said. “She was fair and very calm. She was focused on safety.”
