Kalamazoo Christian driver Muriel Cramer made the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round for 44 years

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Muriel Cramer started driving a school bus in 1968 to help pay for her children to attend Kalamazoo Christian schools.

Cramer enjoyed the job so much that she stayed on long after her children graduated and eventually had her grandchildren as occasional passengers, among the hundreds of K-Christian students that she has ferried over the years.

Friday afternoon, Cramer drove her last bus run. After 44 and a half years as a bus driver for the Kalamazoo Christian Schools Association, Cramer is retiring at age 76.

Tribute letters written to Cramer for the occasion praise her dedication to her job and her students.

"What I remember most about Mrs. Cramer was how much she cared for all of us kids," wrote Jennifpher Koens, a former K-Christian student. "She always greeted us with a smile."

Koens also recalled how Cramer "would let us sit in the back few rows so we could 'bounce' higher on the seats as we rode over many bumpy country roads."

Lisa Bosch, one of Cramer's three children, said that Cramer was known for her clean bus floors and her kindness.

"She is such a positive role model to me in what it means to take pride in your job and do your job well," said Bosch, who has been a K-Christian bus driver for 22 years.

Connie VanDerSlik, Cramer's older daughter, recalled that Cramer started her job when Lisa was 18 months old and she installed a seat belt in the front seat so that the toddler could nap safely during the afternoon route.

"My own children, even though they never were on Grandma's route, have great memories of Grandma's bus," VanDerSlik said.

Jeff Blamer, a former principal for the K-Christian system, called Cramer a "Hero of Christian education."

"For more than 44 years, she put others before herself," Blamer said. "She was a constant support and made my work as administrator easier as she led our team of drivers by her example."

From one tribute letter, which was unsigned: "I asked how she stayed sane after 44 years. She laughed and said, 'I love it! When the roads are clear
and dry, the sun is shining and the bus is full of kids, I love it."