Holy Angels School street renamed for teacher considered an ‘institution’ — Laura Waegner

After 55 years of teaching, Laura Waegner has left an indelible impression not only on her students’ education, but also the community where she taught all those years.

Waegner, 79, spent her first year teaching at St. Rita School in Aurora in 1969, and the following year joined Holy Angels School., which she retired from last school year after 54 years.

Waegner is known as an “institution” at the school — she has taught the grandchildren of students she had back when she first started over half a century ago, according to a news release by Clayton Muhammad, senior adviser to Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin.

On May 17, Irvin honored Aurora’s longest-serving teacher and named that day “Laura Waegner Day.”

He also renamed the 700 block of Kensington Place, where Holy Angels School is located, Laura Waegner Way. That ceremony on Sept. 13 was attended by the entire student body, former students, colleagues, family members, and city officials.

Waegner received her bachelor’s degree in education from Rosary College, also earning credits from Northern Illinois University. After getting her elementary education license, she spent her career largely teaching history to middle schoolers.

Surprisingly, Waegner retired just short of reaching the Guinness World Record for longest teaching career at one school. The current holder of this record is a teacher from the United Kingdom who retired in 1958 after nearly 57 years, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Though Waegner no longer will be teaching at Holy Angels School, her legacy will be forever documented through the street’s renaming, city officials said.