Franklin Elementary School kindergarten students are pictured in the new playground made possible by a donation from the Ploeger family to honor past kindergarten teacher Carol Ploeger. Pictured standing with the children, are from left, current Franklin kindergarten teacher Amy Phillips, Jan Paper (Carol’s sister), Jeff Ploeger (Carol’s son), Franklin Principal Tim Holmgren, Dick Ploeger (Carol’s husband), Christine Cameron (Carol’s daughter) and Marshalltown Schools Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte.
When Dick Ploeger’s wife Carol passed away earlier this year, he couldn’t think of a better place to donate her memorial fund than to Franklin Elementary School.
After all, Carol had so many great memories of the school after teaching kindergarten at Franklin in the late 1960s and 1970s.
A Ploeger family donation was made which resulted in a new playground at the school and new classroom equipment for the same kindergarten classroom that Carol used to teach, which is now taught by Amy Phillips.
“She loved teaching kindergarten here,” Dick said of Carol. “We thought this (donation) should stay here.”
Franklin will have a small sign with Carol’s name out by the playground and a plaque made to display in the kindergarten classroom with Carol’s picture.
Carol Ploeger as a Franklin teacher
