EMPORIA, Kan. — Former Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger was honored on Friday morning at the National Memorial to Fallen Educators in Emporia, Kansas for his life service as an educator and actions during the Jan. 4 school shooting.
The memorial has close to 200 former educators’ names, who lost their lives in the line of duty, etched into three total granite tablets that sit on top of a small hill at Emporia State University.
“To us, he’s just our home, Dan,” Elizabeth Marburger, the wife of Dan Marburger, told Local 5 News. “The idea of how large this situation is, kind of gets lost in our little family life.”
Dozens of lifelong educators and families attended the rededication ceremony where both Marburger, and former Clarksburg, West Virginia high school teacher Ryan Lantz, who was killed by a vehicle in the school parking lot in February, were honored.
“Moving on with their lives does not mean moving away from their memories,” said Dr. Anthony Salvatore, the General Vice-President of American Federation of School Administrators.
Teachers from the National Teacher Hall of Fame and state representatives spoke Friday morning about the memorial’s dignity and honor.
“They weren’t looking for their names to be put up in lights, they didn’t choose the education profession to get rich, they chose the education profession to inspire,” said Noel Candelaria, the National Education Association secretary-treasurer.
Maddie Fennell, the National Teacher Hall of Fame executive director added: “We do not want any more families or communities to experience the grief of those who loved the educators we are honoring today.”
After speeches and reflections finished up, a laying of flowers and a wreath with the names of Lantz and Marburger were displayed near the three granite tablets, in memory of the country’s fallen educators.
“I don’t know how I can possibly thank the people for all that they have done for myself and for my family,” said Elizabeth Marburger. “I just hope that people continue to do that for each other and not just when tragedy hits, but day-to-day.”
All three granite tablets at the National Memorial to Fallen Educators are completely full of names. So Lantz’s and Marburger’s names will be added to a fourth tablet once the funding for another comes through.