T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Retiring West Marshall High School Counselor Patti Edler, left, and Middle School Teacher Tammy Keigan, right, were honored for their decades of service to the district during a reception at the cafeteria last Thursday morning.

STATE CENTER — Two beloved longtime staff members with the West Marshall Community School District — High School Counselor Patti Edler and Middle School teacher Tammy Keigan — have officially retired after decades of dedicated service, and they were honored with a well-attended reception in the cafeteria last Thursday morning.

Keigan takes unconventional path to teaching

Keigan told the T-R she did not take a typical path to teaching, first accepting a job as an English Language Learner paraprofessional in Storm Lake in the 1990s.

“During that time, I decided I really wanted to be a teacher. I started taking classes at night. Then my husband accepted a job at West Marshall, so I finished my teaching degree at Iowa State University,” she said.

Upon graduation, she accepted a sixth grade teaching position at GMG, where she spent two “great” years. She then accepted a sixth grade position at West Marshall.

“We lived in State Center and our four children all went to West Marshall, so I wanted to be closer. Over the years, she has taught every Reading/Language Arts class in grades 6-8 and also added English Language Learner coordinator/teacher to my resume.

“The West Marshall school and community are the best. We couldn’t have asked for a better environment to raise our children and build our life. Our children have all graduated from West Marshall and moved on,” Keigan said. “I will still be around to substitute teach some. My husband and I own Cyclone Awards & Engraving Inc. in Ames. I will focus my energy on the business and my kids.”

Edler reflects on more than three decades at West Marshall

After more than three decades of anchoring the counseling department at West Marshall, Patti Edler is officially turning the page. Edler, whose career at the district spans 34 years, recently announced her retirement, leaving behind a legacy deeply rooted in expanding student opportunities and advocating for the “underdog.”

For Edler, the district has been much more than a workplace. Located just three and a half miles from her home, West Marshall became her second home and her life’s vocation.

“This district has been my rock,” Edler said. “My journey with West Marshall has been much more than a job; it has been my vocation, my life’s purpose, and my contribution to society.”

Edler’s career began in the fall of 1992 as a special education teacher at GMG. In the fall of 1993, she joined the staff at West Marshall in the same role, where she taught until 1996. From 1996 to 1998, she transitioned to a part-time position at Colo-NESCO to raise her two young children. Edler returned in the fall of 1998 to serve as the Middle School Counselor for 14 years. In 2011, she transitioned to High School Counselor, a cornerstone position she maintained through the spring of 2026.

Throughout her 25 years of continuing dedication to the district’s counseling program, Edler focused heavily on expanding college and career planning infrastructure. Under her guidance, the district grew to offer robust academic, athletic, artistic, and vocational pathways that rival much larger school systems.

“There is a seat at the table for everyone at West Marshall — all you have to do is pull up a chair,” Edler said. “Whether a student’s passion takes root in the fine arts, agriculture, business, athletics, or rigorous academic pursuits, we have fostered an environment where every ambition has room to grow.”

Growing up during the 1980s farm crisis in Nebraska, Edler, like many of the students during that time, knew that going to college was a privilege and did not come without working several jobs and relying on borrowed funds. That experience shaped her philosophy that education is the ultimate socioeconomic equalizer. Seeing her younger self in many of West Marshall’s students, Edler made it her mission to remove financial barriers to higher education. During her tenure, she championed programs that allowed students to earn college credits while still in high school and aggressively pushed for scholarship accessibility.

As she steps down, Edler hopes she has inspired generations of students to embrace what she calls the true “Trojan Spirit” — the courage to forge a unique path and the discipline to pursue it with excellence.

Though she is retiring from her daily role, Edler emphasized that she will remain a fierce, lifelong supporter of the West Marshall community, the colleagues she worked alongside, and the students she watched flourish into adulthood.

Upon retirement, Patti plans on helping her husband, Eric, on the farm, tending to her many flowers, and traveling to rodeos to cheer on her family. Her sons, Jacob and Emmett, are professional cowboys who compete in steer wrestling, while her daughter, Carolyn, competes in breakaway roping alongside her husband, Stetson, who team ropes. In addition, Patti is excited to spend time being a grandma to Taylee (and her new baby sister arriving this August), Briggs, and Bode.

“Thank you for the privilege of serving West Marshall for three decades,” Edler said, noting that she is proud to have spent her career helping the district fulfill its core mission: “Preparing all students today for the challenges of tomorrow.”