A year after moving to Forestburg, two years after being married, Margaret Dibben started driving school bus part time for Ed Halberg back in 1966, while he finished up with harvest.

A year later, she signed on full time, working for Bill Sandmaier, and she’s never looked back.

“The reason you drive bus that long is that you like kids,” Dibben says, adding, “If you like them, and treat them right, they generally treat you right back.”

She says she remembers well her early days on the bus, when the senior students, all experienced farm hands, “probably had more experience than me.” After all, she was only her in 20s, they were just a few year younger.

“I’d be grinding the gears, I drove a standard back then, and the more embarrassed I got, the worse it got.” A few tips from husband Fred helped her out, and soon she was heading out, come snow, sleet, or hail. “When I started there were no off days; whether it was stormy, or -30, the busses ran.”

Dibben says she first started driving for the Flagstaff County School Board, with all the buses being privately owned, like the one she drove for Sandmaier.

She says when it changed over to the Battle River School Division, private contractors were phased out, and she eventually signed on with the Division.

She says when cuts were made to the bus routes at the Forestburg School, she started driving the Strome and Daysland routes, and has done for the past 15 years.

“It was neat; I got to meet a whole lot of new families.”

She’s never been afraid of driving the country roads at all.

“In the early days if I got in trouble, like stuck in the snow, parents would call each other to figure out approximately where I was, and soon a farmer would come by with a tractor to pull me out.

“It’s a lot different now; a little more formal.”

She recalls one time in particular when she was dropping a rural student off when she smelled something off, “like rubber burning or heating up.”

She was invited into the shop where the farmer took a look under the bus, then asked, “Is your emergency brake on?”

“‘Of course not,’ I said. He was so nice. He took another look, then looked at a few other things before asking me, ‘Are you sure the emergency brake isn’t on?’

“Then I checked; and it was! That was a red-faced moment for me, and one we still laugh about.”

Dibben started driving a 36-passenger bus, and by the time 2020 rolled around, she was comfortably driving a 60 passenger unit.

She recalls that holidays were a special time on the bus, where she often brought treats for the students, like for Halloween, Christmas, and the last day of school. “Sometimes other occasions, too.”

She had something very special planned for her last day of school for 2020, because it would be her own last day, too. “But COVID changed all that,” she said. “All of a sudden the schools were closed and I was done.” It definitely wasn’t how she saw herself leaving.

She says the best part of the job was always her passengers. “The kids were so sweet, I would receive special Christmas presents, or year-end presents, and sometimes special drawings.

“I didn’t realize how valuable these things would be to me, until all of a sudden it was 50-plus years of memories.”

Dibben has seen many changes over the years.

When she started, six busses brought students to Forestburg School. “All the bus drivers would visit while we waited for our charges.”

She said after a time on the job, Sandmaier and his wife would head out on holidays, leaving the bus in her care.

“Bent Hansen at Forestburg Motors took such good care of us,” she says, referring to herself and Sandmaier’s other two drivers.

“If we needed anything done on the bus while Bill was gone, he’d come right out and get us going.”

She said in those early days, she brought the bus home each night like it was her own.

When she moved to Strome the school was still open, and she was driving students to school, then taking the high school students to Daysland, continuing to work around Strome after that school closed.

“Back in the day there was a house on every quarter, and two to three kids per family. Now there are fewer young families spread over a larger distance… it’s very different now.”

Dibben said driving bus was a perfect job when she and Fred started their family. “I got to be home all day except for a few hours in the morning and afternoon.” When their two boys got older, they’d get themselves off to school while she was out on her route.

“It’s not a ton of money, but it’s a great job for the hours. I think that’s why there are so many women drivers today, and the Division recognizes that, and make it as easy as possible for young moms.”

Dibben says the Division was also very good at recognizing service, saying she received her five, 10, and 15-year certificates as a bus driver.

In fact, in 2016, the Division’s Bussing Newsletter, called “Shifting Gears,” recognized Dibben for her 50 years behind the wheel driving Flagstaff students to school.

On the occasion of her retirement, BRSD Superintendent Rita Marler says, “A 53-year-career is awe-inspiring. Margaret has definitely had a chance to see it all during her time as a bus driver. So many things have changed – even before all that the year 2020 has brought to us! We are so thankful to Margaret for her many dedicated years of service and we wish Margaret all the very best.”

Over the years, Dibben has seen some familiar faces, first as passengers, then as parents.

“It was great having different generations of families on my bus. I tried to follow their paths as they grew up in the community, and was always so happy to see some settle locally and raise families of their own.”

Dibben says her secret is treating all her passengers with kindness. “I always wanted my bus to be a safe place, to make every child happy to come on my bus.”

She always has enjoyed cordial relationships with her passengers. “I’m not saying everyone was perfect, but back in the day a phone call to the parents would fix things up quickly.”

She says the process is different now, but her philosophy stayed the same, and it worked.

Another thing that Dibben has always appreciated is the respect that other drivers have shown her on the road over the years. “I’ve had less than a handful of people over all these years cause me any troubles, and I never put in a single written infraction.”

Dibben says new pickup and drop off rules make it safer for drivers and passengers. “Battle River does a good job in keeping everyone safe.”

Garth Rapson, Director of Transportation also had something to say about Dibben: “Being able to pay tribute to Margaret in this way is really meaningful – I’m glad that she’s getting some well-deserved public celebration after all her years of service.

“The fact that this acknowledgement is taking place during School Bus Safety Week makes it even more special.

“Margaret, and all bus drivers, play a really important role in making sure students start and end their school day safely.

“We’re grateful for their skill and their dedication.”

Dibben says that other than missing out on a good party at year-end, she’s happy to be retired. Husband Fred has also retired from the Forestburg Seed Plant where he worked the whole time she drove the bus.

“I guess we were both in it for the long term.”

She’s grateful for a long and enjoyable career, but says now that she’s done, she’s done, and doesn’t see herself coming back or subbing. “It’s been a great time.”

She still enjoys running into her passengers, whether locally, or sometimes in the oddest places, and says she has nothing but fond memories for her time behind the wheel.

Read the full story in the October 21 edition of The Community Press >> buy the single issue online below:

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Leslie Cholowsky
Editor