Army veteran wanted to teach

After spending more than a decade on active duty in the Army, Julianna Gehant had set her sights on a new career: teaching.

In a recent Christmas card to a former drama teacher, the 32-year-old woman from Mendota in LaSalle County, had written of plans to teach second graders.

"(She) would have made a tremendous teacher," said Dave Schroeder, who taught Gehant for four years at Mendota Township High School, where she graduated from in 1994. "She would just have been superior."

Known as Julie during her high school years, Gehant was involved in many dramatic productions at Mendota High, Superintendent Jeff Prusator said. She also participated in concert choir and art.

Although she acted occasionally, her real interest in stage work was on the technical crew, said Schroeder, who retired in 2000 but remained in touch with Gehant. She designed many programs for the high school's productions, he recalled.

"She was a tremendous artist," Schroeder said. "Her designs for the covers were absolutely fantastic."

Gehant also helped build sets and did other technical work for the school's stage shows. "She knew how to handle a hammer," Schroeder said.

Gehant's acting and technical credits included productions of "Murder in the Magnolias," "Brigadoon," "Night Watch" and "Anything Goes."

She enlisted in the Army while still in high school. Her military service began in July 1994, a Defense Department spokesman said. A decorated soldier, she served as a construction engineer supervisor and had earned the rank of sergeant first class. Her service included time in the war-torn Serbian province of Kosovo in the late 1990s.

Gehant left active duty in March 2007 and joined the Army Reserve. She was most recently assigned to the 100th Division in Louisville, Ky., the largest institutional training division in the Army Reserve.

Several teachers on staff at Mendota High knew Gehant and were shaken by her death.

"It's hit some of them very, very hard," Prusator said. "It's one of those things you hear about but never think it'll happen to you."

Students and staff members were encouraged Friday to sign a banner that will be sent to Gehant's family. Additionally, the school is collecting money for the NIU crisis center in her memory, Prusator said.

Funeral arrangements are pending with Schwarz Funeral Home in Mendota.