Lake Zurich crossing guard honored for 40 years on job

As Anne Marie Arden awaited more children to keep safe outside Sarah Adams Elementary School, she reflected on some of the changes she's seen in 40 years as a Lake Zurich crossing guard.

She spoke after waiting for five vehicles to pass her and a girl so it was safe for them to enter a marked crosswalk on Old Mill Grove Road.

"With all the new technology today, it's very hard on people just to drive their car," said Arden, who wore a bright reflective jacket on the job Tuesday afternoon. "So many people have cellphones. The phone goes off and they have to find out right away who's calling or they have to text somebody. And, of course, I never had that in the beginning. Life was just quieter."

Arden's long tenure as a part-time crossing guard was recognized at Monday night's Lake Zurich village board meeting. Arden's family accompanied her to the meeting that featured Mayor Thomas Poynton reading a proclamation in her honor.

Poynton said Arden is one of the village's longest-serving employees. She started with Lake Zurich in January 1976.

"She has demonstrated a dedication to an important job that is not always pleasant, what with the rigors of harsh weather, split shifts, heavy traffic," Poynton said.

Arden said she's always had a love for children and is particularly fond of the students at Sarah Adams Elementary, which serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Lake Zurich Unit District 95.

Jenna Lewis, 8, is one of Arden's young fans.

"She's really nice and she keeps people safe," Jenna said. "And she's one of the nicest crossing guards I know."

An original Old Mill Grove resident who moved there 45 years ago, Arden raised a son and two daughters in Lake Zurich.

She said being a crossing guard was a convenient job when her children were young and she wanted to be at home with them as much as possible. One of her daughters led her to the job.

"My daughter, Mary, when she was in second grade, she came and said, 'Mom, they're looking for a crossing guard,'" Arden said. "And I thought, 'Oh, my goodness, what's that?' You know, I never paid much attention to crossing guards."

Mary Arden said her mother had wanted a part-time job to supplement her father's income. She said remembered rushing home with the news of the opening after some PTA leaders mentioned it during a visit to the old May Whitney Elementary School

Arden has worked under eight Lake Zurich police chiefs. She's one of four crossing guards, compared to the staff of about a dozen when she started in 1976.

Before taking over at Sarah Adams Elementary, she was stationed near St. Francis de Sales Catholic School, and at Main and Church streets.

"I just hope that the next 40 years are as easy as the first 40 years," Arden quipped.

Poynton said Arden is a role model for all of Lake Zurich.

"Very few people can say that they have directly helped, literally, thousands of children by performing their daily jobs," he said.

In 2014, the Lake Zurich village board honored Marie McBride when she hit the 40-year mark as a crossing guard.