Jump to Navigation

Bob Hallett

Bob Hallett

Born: Glenwood, MN, United States
Heritage: European American

Be nice to your parents and teachers. They both love you a lot. Tell your parents you love them. Tell them you think they are really nice. Your teachers really care about you. Work hard at school. Play hard and laugh and smile. And you’ll do just fine.

Bob Hallett

My name is Bob Hallett. I was born 1937 in a little farming/railroad town called Glenwood, Minnesota. In the fall a lot of the farm kids were busy picking corn and in the spring planting seeds. Many of them only came to school half of the time because they needed to stay on the farm and work.

I was an only child. My dad worked on the railroad. He worked six days a week. He would always say the railroad runs 24 hours a day.

My mom was a piano teacher. She gave piano lessons to town and farm kids. Many farm families could not pay her in cash so they paid her in chickens and eggs. My dad took me fishing and hunting. My mother taught me to play the piano. My mom was fine arts and my dad was outdoors. I had both.

We all had many jobs to make extra money. I set pins in a bowling alley, delivered the Star Tribune newspaper, and detassled corn in the summer. When I was older I caddied at a golf course and worked in a drug store as a soda jerk.

When I graduated I joined the Navy. I was stationed aboard a big aircraft carrier. I visited Hawaii, Japan, Singapore and the Philippines. When I got out of the Navy, I went to St. Cloud State College to become a teacher. While I was in college I married my wife Jan. She was already a teacher.

In 1963, I started teaching in Eden Prairie. There were only 35 students in the graduating class at Eden Prairie. In fact, there were more horses in Eden Prairie than people. I taught fifth grade and then went to school to become a principal. I was the principal at Prairie View, Forest Hills, and Eden Lake.

If parents have confidence in the principal they have confidence in the school. If parents trust the principal, they feel comfortable with the teacher.

I was very busy during those years volunteering in the Lions Club, the Jaycees, the Hockey Association, our church and the city planning commission. I think leaders should live in the town where they work.

When we first moved to Eden Prairie we thought we would just stay two years and then move to a small town. Thirty-five years later we are still here. We have three sons: Craig, Scott, and Todd. They are all married and have children. Soon our sixth grandchild will be born. I love spending time with my wife and three boys. We’ve done a lot of fun things together over the years.

Notation: Download PDF
HONOR SONG LYRICS

You Know What

Honoring Bob Hallett

You Know What?
Inspired by Bob Hallett

You know what? (4x)
I was born in a railroad town.
You could hear the train
for miles around.
My dad worked on a railroad line,
On the night shift workin’ all the time.

You know what? (4x)
My dad said, “If you go
To get a job on the railroad,
It’ll be the day I kick you out.”
I can hear my dad shout!

You know what? (4x)
He was never - able to
See me play baseball.
They had him workin’ - four to midnight
His whole life long.

Mother, she - taught piano.
They could never date.
So she went out - by herself
‘Cause Dad, he worked late.

You know what? (4x)
At the age of seventeen
I joined up with the Navy.
I saw the world, got set free,
Went to college, got my degree.

You know what? (4x)
Then I met a cute girl.
She made my head twirl.
She had a car, a job, some dough.
We got married, and built a home.

You know what? (4x)
We found work here in Eden Prairie
Back in ‘63.
There were more - horses than people,
And that’s just fine by me.
My wife and I, we had children
All boys: one, two, three.
Lots of family - time together,
And now - 6 grandkids on my knee.

You know what? (4x)
Principal for 31 years
Prairie View, Forest Hills, and here.
Use to hunt where we are now.
From family farms to a great big town.

You know what? (4x)
Tell your parents, “I love you!”
Do the best that you can do.
Work and play hard all the time.
Laugh and smile and you’ll do fine.

You know what? (4x)
A leader should live where they work
And always volunteer,
To give support to those who’ve given
Us help year after year.

The greatest thing in my whole life
Is my family
Jack, Alex, Sam, Otis
Jake, and Molly!

You know what? (4x)

Music by LARRY LONG
Words by LARRY LONG with Karen Fogarty’s 4th grade of Eden Lake Elementary School
(Eden Prairie, Minnesota)

© Larry Long 2004

Listen: You Know What?