Cathy Riewer retires after four decades of teaching, coaching and community service

by Trinity Gruenberg

trinity@inhnews.com

Cathy Riewer was busy taking items off the walls in her classroom and sorting through years of things, deciding what to keep and what to give away, sifting through 40 years of memories. 

Riewer retired from the Bertha-Hewitt School and looks forward to spending time with her grandchildren. 

Her career began in 1984 when she was interviewed by Principal John Hawley. She arrived wearing clothes with the school’s colors, vying for a position among 150 applicants. She was a Verndale native looking to stay close to home. 

She was asked a series of questions such as if she would be interested in volleyball if their basketball coach resigned, and if she would be interested in helping if they needed a representative for track, and so on.

Hawley had two stacks of applications, one with coaching certificates and the other without. 

“I was beginning to wonder if this was still for a teaching job,” Riewer said with a laugh....

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