Dorothea Bruschke, Maplewood Richmond Heights German teacher from 1966-1980, died this week in her retirement community, Aberdeen Heights, in Kirkwood. Since then, former students of hers have posted memories and appreciations of her on social media.
From Clark Hickman on Facebook:
I am saddened to report the death of one of the favorite teachers I ever had, Mrs. Dorothea Bruschke, or “Frau Bruschke” as she was known by her affectionate moniker.
I took four years of German with her when I attended Maplewood-Richmond Heights Senior High School, and she was also my homeroom teacher during those years.
Her infectious enthusiasm for her subject and her students endeared her to everyone. Her boundless energy, her belief in her students, and her love of all things German made her a remarkable educator who continued to inspire me throughout my own career in education.
After leaving Maplewood, she became the language coordinator in the Parkway School District. After retiring, she continued her active lifestyle and lifelong learning at Aberdeen Heights in Kirkwood. Through thick and thin, she never forgot her students and continued her passion for excellence as long as she lived.
Frau Bruschke passed away on February 17, 2025. Like her late husband, she donated her body to science at St. Louis University School of Medicine where, even in death, students can continue to learn from her.
She was a friend and mentor to all who learned from her. Rest in peace.
The retirement community, Aberdeen Heights, where she had lived, wrote about her life in 2021. Read the full article from Aberdeen Heights, Living an Amazing Life.
Thanks Doug for sharing this!
I remember Dorla breezing through the teachers lounge at M-RH! We both went to Parkway at the same time. I saw Herat library lectures over the years with our friend Christa Wolf. Phenomenal lady.
Wow, Ed. That is amazing!!! We teachers rarely know! Now thanks to Facebook, we discovere things like this sometimes, and I can’t express how moving that is. Bravo for you!!!
In the 60’s I took her German class at MRH. I was probably the worst student of her career, when I even showed up. Drafted in 70 I started to actually grow up. I continued to work on my German both formally and self taught. The Army sent me to a year long intense stint with the Defense Language Institute for German then a 3 year tour in Germany as a medevac pilot and interpreter. Hung around with a lot of locals and both improved my German and learned some nuances. Home on leave I visited her classroom (still at MRH) and had a long conversation with her in German. She had no idea who I was. When I reminded her of how bad a student I was and it clicked with her I thought she was gonna faint. Last time I saw her was at a reunion of her students in 2023 and again had a great conversation with her. I was a terrible student but because of her (and maturity) kept at it. She was wonderful.