Evan Knoblauch

When I was in high school my speech teacher was pregnant. She had a son. Years passed and in the course of life, things like a pregnant speech teacher rarely made its' way back to the forefront of memory. But there is something about good teachers that is special. They make impressions that last. My speech teacher was a good teacher.

My wife and I were watching the news Saturday when the very first thing reported was the death of Evan Knoblauch. Immediately my wife was struck with shock and disbelief. The last year and a half, Evan had been a student in my wife’s History and Sociology classes. I knew of Evan before his death even though I had never met him. My wife rarely comments on her students but she used to tell me how sweet and nice Evan was. She said that he was always in a good mood and made a positive impact when he was in the classroom. She said that he had a rare and healthy dose of respect for his teachers. I never knew him but I think it would be safe to say that he would make any parent proud.

I know my wife was kept up that night thinking about what had happened. Since I had no real connection to Evan, I was preoccupied with what his parents were going through. I did not know who they were but I just imagined the way my mother and father were when my brother died. Then I replaced them with stranger’s faces.

My wife went to the service at the high school they had for Evan last night. When she came back we talked. She told me that it was sad but relatively short. Among the details it was discovered that Evan's mother was my high school speech teacher. I could not believe it. When you are in high school sometimes you get the impression that your teachers do not lead lives outside of school. That they arrive at school, collect your homework and then retreat to their homes where they do weird things like build Civil War Reenactment scenes in their basement. But you forget that they are people too. All I could think about was her sobbing uncontrollably.

This teacher, Mrs. Knoblauch, who was pregnant when I took her speech class in 1989 had a son. His name was Evan. For the last year and a half my wife had a fine young man in her class. His name was Evan.

During this painful time, may God's peace be of some comfort to you and your family Mrs. Knoblauch.



Thank you Chance for putting this tribute together. God bless.