Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Shelby, Joy and Mallory Puckett
Attending school in Tekoa must have been a good experience for Joy Heaton Puckett because she chose to return to her hometown to raise her own family.
“I wanted to see my kids go through this school district,” she said. Besides having two daughters who graduated from Tekoa, Joy has another connection to the district as the business manager.
“It’s fun to be in a small program,” Joy said. “I love that you just wear a ton of hats at a small school.”
After graduation, Joy attended Washington State University where she jumped majors until she ended in accounting. She worked for SeaFirst Bank and then Cummins Northwest in Spokane. Then she took a position as the business manager at the Plummer-Worley school district before and during the consolidation of the two schools.
“I wanted to be close to my kids,” she said.
Joy came to Tekoa in 1995. Her daughters Mallory and Shelby were in third grade and pre-school, respectively. Joy worked for part of a year as the assistant before moving up to business manager.
By being in the same school district, Joy was better able to get involved as a mom with the girls’ different activities. She recalled that daughter Shelby attended preschool in the morning and then slept under the desk in Joy’s office. Even as a senior, Shelby napped under the desk while Joy met with people who were oblivious to the siesta.
Joy became a “Hawk Mom” after the girls became active in sports. Both were involved in basketball, volleyball and softball which kept them going all year long. Joy would dress up for games and served meals with the other team moms.
Shelby was also involved in Splash, club volleyball in Spokane. Joy drove her from basketball practice to Spokane for the other practice, eating dinner on the way, and Shelby would do her homework on the way home. Splash competes at games around the nation and Joy would volunteer to chaperone the games when she could.
Last year marked a big change in the Puckett household with a double graduation, Mallory from WSU and Shelby from Tekoa.
Joy noted that with the girls’ activities and sports, the family was never home during the week, and it has been hard not to be so immersed.
She and Scott are finding ways to keep busy, one being renovation projects around the house.
“We’re always tearing something down,” she said. So far the work has been mostly superficial; painting, floors, walls, new lighting. They also enjoy biking and have ridden the full length of the Centennial Trail.
Joy also likes to run. She started running in college and competed in several marathons until her kids were born. She now has several running partners, including her daughters, friends and co-workers .
“It takes a whole village to keep me running,” Joy said.
It has been rewarding to see her daughters take up running. Joy has done 10 half-marathons with Mallory as well as some “fun runs.” One such event was Hood to Coast where the two of them ran the two-day relay from Mt. Hood to the Oregon coast.
“Good way to get to know your kid,” Joy noted.
Joy still enjoys many things about her work. She said the faculty is incredible and it is satisfying to get to fight for programs and see their impact on the students. She also likes the number crunching.
“You wouldn’t do it if you didn’t like numbers,” she said.
MaryLou’s Potato Casserole
6-7 potatoes—boiled with skins on and cooled
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 chopped onion
1 can mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper
Grate potatoes into big hunks after you peel skins off. (May also use frozen, loose hash browns.)
Add remaining ingredients and stir together in large bowl. You can prepare the night before—just pour into baking dish and refrigerate. When ready, dot with butter and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Sausage Fondue
8 slices cubed bread
2 cups shredded sharp American cheese
1 1/2 lbs. cooked link sausage, cut into fourths, or 1 1/2 lbs. cooked cubed ham
4 eggs
2 1/4 cup milk
3/4 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
Place cubed bread in bottom of buttered 13 x 9 dish. Top with cheese. Top with meat. Beat eggs with 2 1/4 cup milk and mustard. Pour all over top. Refrigerate overnight.
Dilute soup with 1/2 cup milk. Pour over top. Bake at 300 degrees for about 1 1/3 hours, until set.
Jana Mathia is a reporter at the Whitman County Gazette.
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