The students and employees at Frances Buzzard’s school in West Virginia adore her and greatly appreciate her as a school janitor.
The 77-year-old always arrives at Belle Elementary School smiling and takes excellent care of the facility. However, when the staff learned that her childhood wasn’t like other modern children’s, they made the decision to do something unique.
Since Frances was raised in poverty, she had little money to spend on birthday or holiday celebrations.
The staff decided to amend this and throw her a birthday bash as a token of their appreciation. They called Frances to the room after 200 staff members and students had come to celebrate her birthday and the cafeteria had been decorated with birthday snacks.
‘Could Rendall and Ms. Frances kindly come to the cafeteria?’ The Charleston Gazette-Mail reported that the loudspeaker asked.
Frances thought she was being summoned to carry out a chore, but when she opened the doors and discovered what was there, she couldn’t believe it.
As gifts were brought out into the hallway, the kids applauded and sent their best wishes her way. The school also produced a short film that featured Frances’ face in a number of well-known incidents that she had experienced.
She received royal treatment, with her own sash and tiara.
When her family had the money, Frances disclosed that the only presents she had ever gotten as a child were fruits and nuts. Frances exclaimed with joy that there is a huge celebration and she cherished it because no one has ever done this for her.
What a lovely tribute for such a unique person, and what a lasting memory. Hoping she has many more birthdays to come.
Miss Frances gets a surprise on her Friday shift.Frances Buzzard turned 77 this month and the occasion was special, as she cannot recall ever having had a birthday party. They threw her a big one at Belle Elementary in Belle, W.Va., last Friday, where she is a custodian. ‘Shhhh!’, teachers told more than 200 students in the gym. It was a surprise. See related story by Douglas Imbrogno in the Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018 Gazette-Mail.
Posted by Charleston Gazette-Mail on Thursday, 25 January 2018
