From Bob Haefner:
Miss Niles taught English, history, speech and drama for 42 years in the St. Louis County public school system. She taught at Wellston High School as early as 1930, and was there for over 36 years.
I was the youngest of five in my family, and we all had Miss Niles for one subject or more over 15 years of her time at our school. As I look through the year books of my older siblings, I am reminded of Miss Niles' smile as she talked about drama and speech and history and the subjects she loved. She could see that a few of us were not just "getting through" her demanding classes but that we were absorbing her enthusiasm to improving ourselves. She had the knack of challenging us to become more outgoing and self assured than we would ever have thought we could be on our own.
My sister was just two years ahead of me, I watched her change from shy girl to a self assured young lady under the guidance of Miss Niles. Some of us "real men" thought it would be better to avoid all that drama and speech stuff, so we only scheduled the required course. She did not let me off that easy. In our small school we only had about thirty boys in my senior class. She hunted me down, and challenged me to take a part in the Senior Play. She did this not in private or in the Hall, she did this in a class meeting, there was no escape. She got me. I enjoyed it. It was one of the things that made me want to improve myself. Not as a goal, but a process to be enjoyed, a journey never finished. I am 78 this year and still on the journey.
Thank you Miss Niles, for what you did for all of us!
Bob Haefner Class of 1949
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From Lorraine Smith Murray
My favorite teacher was Miss Niles. She was my homeroom teacher all four years, I graduated in 1957, and I had her for American Lit and American History. She can be described as class, respectful and caring. I feel very fortunate that she was a part of my life. Lorraine (Smith) Murray Class of 1957
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