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funny things that students say and the relationships she has formed with her coworkers. "The people I have worked with are just fan - tastic," she said, growing emotional. "And I'm going to miss that a lot. I won't miss the meetings and pa- perwork and a lot of parts of the job, but I'll miss the people. I'll miss the kids." Teflon Dan Instructional facilita- tor Rebecca Defreece has worked with Dan since he came to Siloam Springs. During the couple's first year in Arkansas, she had their youngest son, Joel, in her classroom and got to know both Dan and Marilyn. Dan was very relaxed and congenial with staff and stu - dents, but everyone always knew he was the boss and had the final say, she said. "We called him 'Teflon Dan,' because he just out- wardly let things just roll off," Defreece said. "He didn't ever get upset. People would come in and rant and be aggravated and he would just say, 'That's just how they process.' He would say, 'It'll take care of itself.' I never saw him angry or flustered, in all those years, and I'm sure he was, but he hid it." His background as a counselor was invaluable and his calm demeanor had a settling effect on the students, she said. When boys would struggle in school, Dan would bring them back to the office and have coffee with them. "That was a treat for the boys," she said. "It was a treat for the teacher because it gave them something else to focus on. He seemed to have a really good relation - ship with the kids." Another one of Dan's good qualities was that he took care of the building, Defreece said. He pushed to keep it painted and to make sure it was safe, clean and up to date. He was also quick to make sure teach - ers had everything they needed. Siloam Springs was one of the first schools in the state to pioneer the instructional facilitator program. "We had an excellent working model of how a principal and instructional facilitators work together," she said. Retirement Dan and Marilyn said they have been asked many times about their plans for retirement, but they are looking forward to the pros- pect of not having a plan for once. "We have no plans and I'm kind of looking for- ward to that, just figuring it out you know, going with the flow," Marilyn said. "I wouldn't mind just chilling for a while. With teaching you work really hard and stay very busy, with raising boys you stay very busy, and so I'm just looking for - ward to some down time for a while until we figure out what we want to do or volunteer at or not. We'd like to travel. We'll see, I don't know." The couple has also en - countered a lot of people who seem surprised that they want to retire together, but that was always the plan. "A lot of people seem real - ly surprised about that, but it just seems very natural to us," she said. "Dan is my best friend, so it just seems like the normal, natural thing to do." I remember reading an article put out by the Smithsonian Magazine (published April 18, 2012) titled "The 20 Best Small Towns in America of 2012" and Siloam Springs was on the list. That didn't amaze me because I LIKE this town! That's why Carol and I moved here in November of 2008. But what are the criteria for being chosen as one of the 20 best small towns in America? Susan Spano and Aviva Shen of the Smithsonian Magazine said: "To help create our list, we asked the geographic information systems com - pany Esri to search its data bases for high concentra- tions of museums, historic sites, botanic gardens, resi- dent orchestras, art galler- ies and other cultural as- sets common to big cities. But we focused on towns with populations less than 25,000, so travelers could experience what might be called enlightened good times in an unhurried, charming setting." To give you an idea of how Siloam Springs rated: Taos, N.M., one of the towns where Carol and I were pastors, was No. 2; Siloam Springs is No. 14; Key West, Fla., was No. 16; and Laguna Beach, Calif., was No. 17. Some of our friends who live in the Great Southwest visit us periodically. On one visit they said, "Driving through Northwest Arkan - sas, we like Siloam Springs better than most other towns. It's a very friendly town; we don't feel hurried, and the town has a nostal- gic feel to it. We wouldn't mind living here." Well, they haven't moved here yet; but several friends and family members in Califor- nia are considering coming out this way. Siloam Springs is ex- traordinary. I even like the new location for the Her- ald-Leader office: just three doors away from Daylight Donuts! (Graham Thomas and I visited Daylight – it's good stuff!) I've lived in 24 communities in eight states since grade-school, and I seldom found the quality of life on par with Siloam Springs. Several of the more memorable encounters have been at Café on Broadway — both inside and out. I enjoyed drinking that good coffee with my fellow-writers Louis Hous - ton, Randy Rowlan, and Willie Williams. Louis and Willie have left this life, but I did visit Randy recently in Carlisle, Ark. His coffee is great, also! Normally major educa- tional institutions emanate a somewhat distant atmo- sphere, but John Brown University makes a friendly impact on this town. Even though JBU is a major educational institution, its educators and staff are not aloof. Starting with Presi - dent Chip Pollard, they maintain a warm friendli- ness which flows well in our town. Siloam is blessed with the Community JOY Choir that meets at the First Baptist Church. I had the privilege and honor of di - recting the choir for a year after Reece Watson moved to Oklahoma. Although we enjoy singing in the choir, the greater joy is shar- ing the Love of Christ to the folk in places such as Quail Ridge and the Senior Center. Marylin Danley and Jim Grosshardt are ter- rific friends and are doing a great job of overseeing the choir now. Carol and I often meet with other friends such as Gary and Carol Kroah and Ralph and Becky Glunt at one of the restaurants in town for brunch. There seems to be no limit to friendships here in Siloam Springs! Older towns tend to de - teriorate, and a lot of work goes into renovating and maintaining a community. It takes time to formulate a plan to maintain the town; and it takes a lot of time and effort — called work — to keep the town looking attractive. We are happy with people such as Ron Drake who invest their time helping this town. Mayor John Turner, and the Chamber of Com - merce directed by Wayne Mays do a wonderful job in keeping this town alive and thriving. I like the way they're renovating the downtown area. And let's not forget the church. One report says there are 102 churches listed. But whether there are 102 or only 62 church groups in town, you are sure to find at least one pertinent to your church background where you can worship freely. We must remember: If we leave God out of our lives, we'll miss the most important aspect of life — both now and forever. In short, I agree with the Smithsonian. However, I think Siloam Springs is STILL one of the best small towns in America; and I am proud to be part of Our Town. — Gene Linzey is a speaker, author, mentor and president of the Siloam Springs Writers Guild. Send comments and questions to masters.servant@cox.net. The opinions expressed are those of the author. Proud Milestones 6D n Wednesday, June 27, 2018 Siloam Springs Herald-Leader 5811 , 1 * _ & $ 0 3 , 1 * _ + , . , 1 * _ * 5( ( 1 : $ < _ & < & / , 1 * _ 0 2 7 2 5 & < & / ( _ % , 5 ' , 1 * 1 $ 7 8 5( _ ) ,6+ , 1 * _ 2 1 7 + ( : $ 7(5 _ *2 /) _ < & / ( _ % , 5 ' , 1 * 1 $ 1 7 $ 8 5( _ ) ,6+ , 1 * _ Your outdoor adventures are waiting. Discover the best fi shing holes, nature hikes, bike rides, golf ranges, camping spots and more! GetOutintheOzarks.com Call 479.373.6550 today for Auto, Home Life and Business. Life is better when you have a plan. • Low Monthly Premiums • Plans you can customize for your needs • Farmers HelpPoint 24/7 claims service J MARC PARKER JPARKER5@FARMERSAGENT.COM 505 W. Tulsa St. Siloam Springs, AR 72761 Lic#743673 Siloam Springs! It's a family community and we are proud to serve you! Jordan Smithson 1069 S. Maxwell St, Highland Park Plaza • AUTO • HOME • LIFE • BUSINESS • BANK Gene Linzey Reflections on Life I'm proud of our extraordinary town SIEMENS Continued from Page 2D Janelle Jessen/Herald-Leader Ken Ramey, superintendent of Siloam Springs School District, spoke about Dan and Marilyn Siemens during a retirement celebration at the May 10 school board meeting. W e have no plans and I'm kind of looking forward to that, just figuring it out you know, going with the flow. I wouldn't mind just chilling for a while. Marilyn Siemens Newly retired teacher