Fieldcrest Primary School volunteer Phyllis Scheuer holds a plaque of Special Recognition for her volunteer work from the Illinois State Board of Education. (Provided photo)

Phyllis Scheuer has had plenty of roles in Fieldcrest Community Unit School District 6 — from teacher and mentor to volunteer and costume mender.

She even had a stint as Betsy Ross.

Scheuer has taught kindergartners to high school seniors — and for a time taught both groups in the same day. For four years, she taught kindergarten in the morning and home economics in the afternoon.

“It was hard going from kindergartners to seniors,” Scheuer admitted.

For more than 50 years, Scheuer has been part of Fieldcrest District 6. She has not only taught the children of former students, but now is seeing the grandchildren of former students.

After a 35-year teaching career, Scheuer subbed for a few years, and then started to volunteer nearly 20 years ago when her grandchildren began entering the district.

“I enjoy it,” Scheuer said of being in the classroom. “I love to help others. I was looking for things to do before my husband retired, and teachers can always use extra help.”

Fieldcrest isn’t the only benefactor of Scheuer’s volunteer time. She also is active in helping veterans, seniors, her local food pantry and the Wenona Parks and Recreation Department.

Scheuer even accompanied a local veteran on an Honor Flight to see the military monuments in Washington D.C.

“I have to keep busy,” she said. “I have to stay young.”

Cutting back her time in Fieldcrest to one day a week, Scheuer still subs when teachers are sick.

The longtime home economics (now called family and consumer science) teacher still gets cheers when she walks into classrooms, especially when carrying homemade treats for students.

Scheuer has also been a part of Fieldcrest musicals and plays for decades, making and repairing costumes. One year, she made all the costumes for a Veterans Day program and even portrayed American flag creator Betsy Ross.

The Illinois State Board of Education honored Scheuer this spring in recognition of her longtime volunteer work in Fieldcrest.

Megan Lawrence, a second-grade teacher at Fieldcrest Primary School who nominated Scheuer for the ISBE honor, has known the Wenona resident for 10 years.

“She was volunteering in a first-grade classroom her granddaughter was in,” Lawrence said. “Her bubbly and caring personality had me drawn to her.

“She was incredibly nurturing and caring with the students. I knew she was one in a million right away.”

The longtime teacher and volunteer said she was taken aback by the State Board of Education honor.

“I was thrilled and I was humbled,” Scheuer said. “I do not do it for the recognition. It meant a lot to me.”

Scheuer regularly goes to Peoria with the truck driver to get items for the Wenona Food Pantry.

“We pass food out to clients once a month,” she said. “When I first retired, I was looking for things to do and I started doing that. It’s been 15 years that I’ve been doing that. We need to help people who are struggling.”

She also works with a group assisting senior citizens, helping seniors get involved in the community, meeting for dinner and having picnics in local parks.

The Wenona resident holds a Quilt of Valor she made for a veteran. (Provided photo)

Scheuer is also part of a group of quilters who give veterans Quilts of Valor every two years.

“I made four already this year,” Scheuer said.

The group will go on quilting retreats to help in generating their creations.

Staying active is just in Scheuer’s DNA.

“We always did stuff when we were kids, and when my kids were young, I was a leader for their Cub Scout troops and helped with 4-H,” she said.

The lifelong Wenona resident also volunteers at the Wenona Parks and Recreation Department’s food stand.

“I have a manager certificate, so I help with the food stand,” Scheuer said.

She created a quilt of all the Wenona Days T-shirts which raised more than $500 for the upkeep of the Parks Department’s parks and concession stand.

Scheuer does a multitude of tasks with the Fieldcrest School District.

“When I volunteer, I will run off papers. I will work with students. I do a lot of different things,” she said. “I do food demonstrations with the kids.”

Renewing both her teaching and food manager certificates for another five years, Scheuer doesn’t show any signs of stopping her school volunteer work.

“I will keep doing it for as long as I can,” she said. “When you see the little kids and they come running up to you, it makes you feel good.”

Fieldcrest Primary’s Lawrence has seen Scheuer’s work firsthand for the last decade as a helper in her second-grade class.

“She has the softest heart for children,” Lawrence said. “She not only (makes) copies, but she also works on projects with students. She will use her expertise with food and come into the classroom to lead lessons and activities that tie around the content being taught.

“She has shown students how to make pancakes, cookies, pizza and many more fun foods that help students become engaged in the lessons. She also uses her sewing skills to create patterns and clothing for projects in the classroom.

“She has stepped in as room parent for teachers when they don’t have any volunteers. She plans classroom parties, games, and crafts as her role as room parent. She will also jump in and run learning stations within the classroom, without being asked.” Lawrence said when a new family and consumer science teacher at Fieldcrest High School was in need of assistance, Scheuer volunteered to go in once a week to help her plan and teach her how to use the sewing machines.

“She was a huge asset in aiding that teacher in creating a curriculum for that class,” Lawrence said. “She also stayed for classes to help assist students.”

Lawrence said Scheuer spoils students with her baked good and the mending of worn-out clothes or bags, but also with positive words and encouragement.

“She truly is one of a kind,” Lawrence said. Scheuer said teaching a third generation of Fieldcrest students is not lost on her.

“It makes me feel old,” she joked. “First, I had their kids. Now, I have their grandkids. I tell kids that I had their mom or dad in school.

“When I said that this year, a student asked, ‘How old are you, 40?’ When I told them ‘75,’ one boy said, ‘You’re old!’

kbeese@chronicleillinois.com