BOTKINS — Longtime educator Judy Fogt and lifelong resident Ron Steinke were inducted into the Botkins Education Foundation Wall of Honor at the recent banquet held at the Palazzo in Botkins.
Fogt was selected for her dedication to her career in education. Fogt was born in New Jersey, lived in the Bronx, New York, and began her education there, but moved to Maplewood while still in elementary school.
The first school Fogt attended in Shelby County was a two-room schoolhouse. Fogt went on to graduate from Sidney High School and Miami University, earning her bachelor’s degree. She later earned her master’s degree from the University of Dayton.
Fogt began her teaching career in Sidney, but soon followed her husband Jim to Miami University while he completed his degree. During that time, she taught in Hamilton, then returned to Sidney where she taught for three more years.
After taking several years off when their son Chris was born, Fogt began teaching in Botkins in 1970. She taught fourth grade for 25 years until her retirement in 1995.
During that time, she was best known for her ability to make each of her students feel special, valued and important. And that genuine caring did not end when the students moved on to the upper classes, as was evidenced in the nomination of Fogt for the Wall of Honor.
“Our son walked across the stage at Botkins High School and got his diploma thanks to Mrs. Fogt,” said one parent. “We will always be grateful to her for the help that she gave him. She always went the extra mile to help the children.”
Throughout her career, Fogt dedicated her life to the students that she loved, giving freely of her time and talents. After her retirement in 1995, she continued to reach out to students by tutoring Japanese students at Honda. She will always be remembered for her loving, caring way of teaching her students.
Ron Steinke was inducted to the Wall of Honor for his commitment to his hometown and the community. Steinke is a 1959 graduate of Botkins High School and is a lifelong resident of the village.
The Steinke family own and operate the Marathon Station in Botkins, a full-service repair and gas station. Ron has devoted his entire career to this business, which is now owned and operated by his son Andy.
While Steinke served many in the community in this capacity, his even more meaningful contribution to the Botkins area was his 50 years of dedicated service with the Botkins Fire Department.
When he began with the department, you had to be married to be a firefighter. So, shortly after joining the Botkins Fire Department on June 1, 1962, Ron married his wife Judy. She has supported him throughout his career and together they raised their family of four.
