The following is by Terry Walter and appeared as a guest commentary in the August 29 issue of the Courier. Betty Mudder began teaching Freeman High School band in the 1960s and continued until 1994, when she and her husband, Alvin, retired from teaching. Betty died on July 2, 2024, at age 89. Terry Walter graduated from Freeman High School in 1972 and is a retired music teacher. She lives seasonally in Sioux Falls and Arizona and still plays piano for the Gospel Gold Quartet, which includes Freeman resident Dennis Wollman. NOTE: Due to typos, the year of Walter’s death and graduation were incorrect in this week’s print edition of the Courier.

In the last few weeks since Betty Mudder’s death, I have been flooded with memories. She had a profound impact on many lives, and mine was no exception. She helped me find the right instrument and expected nothing less than my best efforts. She set high standards and taught us that perfection was the goal. That doesn’t mean we achieved it. But I learned that setting that goal always brought you much closer to perfection than you would have otherwise. I began accompanying her in high school and continued to do so later in life. When she asked me to play in her Christmas cantatas in Avon, it never occurred to me to say “no.” (And yes, I always wore a dress to those programs.) She never turned me down, and we ended up being a team. They attended many of my concerts, and she was there to give an honest critique after the performance. That included not only the music, but also my clothing when it didn’t meet her standards. She wasn’t one to shower praise. You had to earn it. They visited us in Arizona several times over the last few years. She worked tirelessly to finish projects I thought were complete. Her standards weren’t met; I had failed and she told me so. I was never offended by that. She wanted it to be perfect for me. When they stopped making long trips, we would communicate regularly by phone. She would keep track of when we would be back in SD, either by driving by our house or calling. They would stop by regularly and sometimes we would have lunch together before they left for their next appointment. They would happily deliver our plants from Fensel’s or our food order from Bob’s. The last time they stopped by was June 11. They had gone out to dinner to celebrate their 68th wedding anniversary. It was just a quick stop and they were on their way. I had no idea it was goodbye. In a way, they had become the parents I had lost a few years before. Now I feel that loss again.

During my recent visits, I realized that many in Freeman are not aware of the Mudders. I realize they haven’t been a part of FHS for 30 years, but they are still here nonetheless. For those of us who were students in the ’60s and ’70s, and I believe the decade that followed, the Mudders embodied the school. They were the ultimate cheerleaders for Freeman High School, and while Mr. Mudder led the district through a reorganization that increased student enrollment and ensured that Freeman would not be merged with another district and thereby lose its identity, Mrs. Mudder built a music program that was the envy of surrounding towns. They were a team in every sense of the word, and Ron and LeEtta Bennett made it a cast of four students. And how blessed were those of us who benefited from that effort. Countless students continue to benefit from that effort, but they have no idea how it started. I am grateful to have been a part of these CAMELOT years and will always honor my teacher Mrs. Mudder, who became my friend Betty.