Rosie Hartung (left)

“When I was very young, most of my childhood heroes wore capes, flew through the air, or picked up buildings with one arm. They were spectacular and got a lot of attention. But as I grew, my heroes changed, so that now I can honestly say that anyone who does anything to help a child is a hero to me.” – Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers)

Rosie Hartung probably doesn’t consider herself a hero, but there are a whole lot of people in the Chippewa Valley who would disagree. Rosie started out as a playground supervisor in the Eau Claire School District but eventually moved to being a crossing guard. She’s been faithfully committed to that job for 20 years, the past 16 of them next to Sam Davey Elementary on the corner of Starr Avenue and Eddy Lane. “She has been a truly dedicated school crossing guard and all-around wonderful person,” says Becky Van Es, partnership coordinator at Northstar Middle School. “She would always show up at the school crossing, rain or shine, and in the heat and cold. Many winters, she was so bundled up that she was unrecognizable.”

It seems like everyone who knows Rosie has some touching story to share, from how she brings candy to her safety patrol helpers (and the principal!) and Dum Dum suckers to every kid at Sam Davey for Valentines Day to how she ties children’s shoes and lovingly scolds them when they wear shorts on cold days. “Everyone knows Rosie,” says Leslie Gorman, PTA president at Sam Davey. “She’s like the school grandma.”

Tim Camlek, sixth-grade teacher and cross-country coach at Northstar Middle School, says, “If I was Pope, I’d make Rosie a saint. She cares about everyone. She sent me things when my own children were born even though I don’t directly work with her.” Camlek says that his cross-country team actually asked to change its practice route so they could run by Rosie twice. “The kids LOVE it because they get to see Rosie,” he explains. “I love it because I know everyone will be safe on our run.”

Being safe is exactly what Rosie is all about. “It relieves my anxiety as a parent to see such a wonderful person looking out for our kids. And in today’s day and age of attacks on school safety, her presence is priceless,” Gorman says. “She knows the people, the traffic, the regular routines, (and) she would recognize in an instant if something was unusual or suspicious.”

While ideally we’d have been able to sit down with Rosie to get her side of things and snap a great photo of her, the truth is that Rosie is out of commission for awhile so she can attend to some personal health issues. But the community is pulling for Rosie to return because, as Gorman says, “She is so much more to our neighborhood than just a crossing guard.”

Jan. 11-15 is Wisconsin Adult School Crossing Guard Recognition Week. Sam Davey Elementary (3000 Starr Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54703) is accepting get-well cards and well wishes for Rosie.