CENTERVILLE—For the last 32 years, Vicki Veater has weathered rain, snow and heat to help children cross the road to school safely. Veater is retiring after her years of service with the Centerville Police Department and she will be honored at an open house Wednesday, Dec. 10 from 5:30 p.m-7:30 p.m. at the police station.

Through the years, Veater has made friends with hundreds of children and their families. She’s even crossed a second generation. “I’ve had a couple mothers coming to the school who have moved back to the area and said that I had crossed them,” said Veater. “That makes you feel a little older than you thought you were.”

When Veater’s youngest of six children turned one, someone approached her about being a crossing guard. “They said, ‘I just wondered if you'd like to help us out and maybe you could be a crossing guard,’” she said. “They put me on as a substitute first. So whenever someone would need me they’d call me. I started up full time in 1994 at Reading Elementary.”

It was a nice job because there is a half hour in the morning then a break until the next shift, said Veater. “We don’t do it anymore but we had kindergarten which was an hour and a half for those kids going and coming. Then again in the afternoon.”

So in between Veater said she could do chores. “I could bake, etc. I’ve even done PTA and volunteering at the school for my kids. It was a job where at least I could go home and do things and then go back. It wasn’t too bad. I really enjoyed it.”

Then when a job opened up at (J.A.) Taylor, Veater took it. “It’s only two minutes down the road from where I live,” she said. “The police department and the dispatchers are all so good to us and watch over us.”

The kids are wonderful, said Veater. “They’re so much fun. I would welcome them in the morning and some of them would give me hugs on the way back home. They got to know me, they're almost like family. Their older sisters and brothers have come and gone and they know me. Some of the older ones have come back and said ‘guess what? I’m getting married’ or ‘I’m going on a mission to New Zealand.’”

Veater said the weather can sometimes be hard. “You become pretty tough and you do it. As long as I have my boots on and hand warmers and a hat on it’s not too bad. In the winter when it’s really windy that’s when it’s really cold but we don’t get that real often.”

The winter can also be more dangerous, she said. “I’ve found that I have to be a lot more cautious to watch for people who aren’t able to stop quickly. So I have to make sure I go out before the kids to make sure they have time to stop and not slide. You don’t want to jump out in front of them in the winter because they don’t stop.”

Over the years Veater said the stop sign has improved. “We have a new one that lights up so when it’s darker it’s really nice to have it flashing so they see you a little better.”

Temperatures can get pretty hot in the summer, she said. “I don’t want to spoil the kids but once it reaches 79-80 degrees and they’re coming home, at the corner I have a squirt bottle and squirt them if they want. They love it.”

She has had a few close calls. “I think for the most part people that come through are pretty cautious and they watch but there are some that I think are just in their own world,” said Veater. “They have tunnel vision and they’re going fast and don’t see me. I had a truck go by and then he all of a sudden saw me when he passed. I could tell he thought ‘Oh no’ he’d gone by fast. He pulled over and crossed the street and apologized. You don’t get that very often.”

Some drivers don’t know the rules, Veater said. “They’re supposed to slow down and some of them are not even looking at me. When I’m out there once they cross you have to wait until I get back to the corner before you can go. I had one a few days ago that as soon as I crossed the kids she went. I was in the middle of the crosswalk. I’ve had someone do that to me and just miss me by inches.”

It’s not worth it for them or the children, she said. “I’ve grabbed backpacks when they’re talking or with their bikes and they start going and not waiting for me because they’re not thinking and a car is coming. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened. I get really emotional about my kids.”

It’s been a really wonderful experience, said Veater. “Talking to the kids and hoping to make their day better has been fun. The kids have become like my own.”