[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 3, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING ALAN KENT LIPKE, RETIRING PRINCIPAL OF ST. PAUL LUTHERAN 
  SCHOOL IN JACKSON, MISSOURI FOR 39 YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR NATION'S 
                                CHILDREN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 3, 2003

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, a well-known proverb exemplifies the life 
mission of our friend and educator Alan Lipke. ``A child is not a 
vessel to be filled, but a lamp to be lit.''
  For 39 years, Alan Lipke has been an educator committed to bringing 
light to the lives of our children. Whether it was for two years at St. 
Paul Lutheran School in Evansville, Indiana, for 13 years at St. Paul 
Lutheran School in Aurora, Illinois or for the last 22 years right here 
at St. Paul Lutheran School in Jackson, Missouri, students across the 
Heartland have been blessed by the dedication and passion of someone 
who has spent his life preparing our children for the future.
  Now, after playing such an integral role in the education of 
countless youngsters, Alan Lipke has decided it is time to retire from 
education and begin a new chapter in his life. Though it is clear that 
he has ``put in his time,'' it is with a heavy heart that we prepare 
for Alan's departure. He has been a remarkable and stellar educator and 
after 39 years of unparalleled service to the teaching profession, to 
say that his absence from education will be missed is an 
understatement.
  And though Alan is retiring from his current profession, I know he 
will still be a visible and active member of the Jackson community. 
Maybe we'll see him at Jackson Chamber of Commerce meetings, at 
festivities for the St. Paul Lutheran School or just out enjoying time 
with his wife Sally, his children Lisa and Scott, his daughter-in-law 
Ashley, and most important of all, his grandson Parker. Wherever we may 
see him, I am sure he will be having fun and enjoying this rich and 
wonderful time of his life.
  Mr. Speaker, on this very special occasion, I ask that all of my 
colleagues join me in congratulating Alan on this milestone and wish 
him every happiness for the future. Thank you.

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