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Joanne Goehle is a legendary figure in the Hills-Beaver Creek School District, as was her late husband, Hugo Goehle, 40-year teacher and coach for the Patriots.
While Hugo’s coaching successes are known throughout the region, Joanne’s contributions to the school were equally important, albeit not as visible.
Many former H-BC students, however, were touched by Mrs. Goehle during their school years and shared some memories with her during a recent visit to her at the Tuff Memorial Home.
The “Severtson Sisters” were once drum majorettes for the school band and still have one of the blue-and-white uniforms Joanne made around 1969.
Hand-sewn of sturdy velvet, it featured a tailored dropped waistline and pleated skirt and faux fur trim at the neckline and wrists.
The uniform sparked discussion of Joanne’s passion for the school and its student athletes and musicians.
Her daughter, Michele Nester, helped connect the dots after the visit.
“I remember my mom making those — the white fur on that royal blue. I was probably 9 or 10 at the time,” she said.
“She had a fabric shop in her basement — she was quite a good seamstress, and she made all the uniforms for the school.”
Joanne as a teenager taught herself to sew by tearing apart a coat and sewing it back together.
“Mom also did all the laundry for the school — she hung the uniforms out on the clothesline,” she said. “And whenever there was mending needed, she took care of that, too.”
Joanne’s work sprung from necessity, as Nester recalled.
“The story goes that the kids at first didn’t take the laundry home and the janitors did the laundry,” she said.
“But my dad (Hugo) was very particular, and they once ruined a set of uniforms, so ever since then he took them home for my mom to wash.”
Nester said her family and the school family were often intertwined.
“It was a small school, and we lived right next door, so they would come over for fittings all the time,” she said. “We always knew the kids.”
Nester said many of the students were athletes on her dad’s sports teams — football, basketball or track — and they often spent time at the Goehle home.
“I remember they used to feed the whole football team,” said Nester, who graduated in 1977. “Mom used to entertain after sporting events. ... There would be food and games.”
Hugo retired in 1992 after 38 years with H-BC, and the district named the former high school gym in his honor. It’s now known as the Hugo Goehle Gymnasium.
Joanne taught in the district and served for many years as treasurer for the city of Hills, in addition to being active in school and community support organizations.
Nester’s siblings are Leanne Carmany, Brenda Hadler and Tom Goehle.
Hugo died of cancer in 1997 at age 72, and Joanne, now 85, resides at the Tuff Memorial Home.