Monticello Live

This past week at the First United Methodist Church Preschool there were many three- and four year-olds giving thanks. The children celebrated their annual Thanksgiving feast by bringing their favorite foods. This year’s feast included a bowl of cookie dough, macaroni and cheese, "pasgetty," marshmallows, and chocolate ice cream, to name a small selection. The leader behind this most-anticipated celebration is their preschool teacher, Linda Beer, known by all as "Mrs. Linda." This is her story:

She was born and raised in El Dorado, where her dad worked in manufacturing and her mother stayed home to raise her and her three brothers. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Arkansas. She returned to south Arkansas after her first year in college to marry Ian Beer.

She met Ian in high school when his parents moved from Canada to El Dorado. Ian and Linda lived in El Dorado after they married as Ian commuted to Camden for a manufacturing job. Their house burned early in their marriage, and at that point, they decided to start fresh in Camden.

They lived in Camden for 18 years. During that time, they had three children. Mrs. Linda stayed at home and occasionally kept other children in her home as well. When her youngest child was four, she began to work in the Camden school district and finished her Early Childhood degree at UAM.

In 1995, the Beer family moved to Monticello where Mrs. Linda found an early childhood education job at W.C. Whaley. The next year, First United Methodist Church began planning to start a preschool. Upon learning of her interest through members of her church, she was hired as the school’s first teacher in the fall of 1996.

The program started with five students, all of whom are in eighth grade today. Mrs. Linda said she had no idea how much work it would take to start a preschool, but through all the paperwork, licensing, and other details, she and the church are proud of what the program has become.

Ten years later, there are two different classes, a three year-old class of 12 students on Tuesday and Thursday, and a four year-old class of 15 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The program’s reputation and popularity require the necessity of a waiting list.

Mrs. Linda has always loved working with children.

"Listening to the kids’ funny stories from home and their take on things is hilarious," she said.

She says that watching their "little faces light up when they write a letter for the first time" and "how they learn to interact with each other" remains some of her favorite things about her job.

In looking toward the future, she mentioned that the church is starting a new building project.

"We’re working on it having four classrooms, playground, and much more room," she said. "We would like to enlarge the program so that it will be open to everyone who wants to get into a part-time preschool. Hopefully, this will do away with the waiting list."

Mrs. Linda’s goals for children in her preschool are for the children to learn to share and interact.

"This is a time they are pulling away from mom. It is great when they get to the point they don’t want mom to come inside anymore. They become more confident and pull away. I am proud when they are ready for kindergarten," she said.

After ten years working with preschool students, Mrs. Linda confessed that she didn’t think she would still be working in this role.

"I never imagined it would bless my life like it has. I can’t imagine now doing anything else," she said.

She’s not the only one who has been blessed. Because of Mrs. Linda’s years at the FUMC preschool, many lives have been touched. Memories of Pumpkin Patch trips, fire stations, county fairs, egg hunts, and the most popular Thanksgiving Feast will not be forgotten. Many little Monticellonians and their parents are thankful this season for Mrs. Linda Beer, one Monticello life.

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