A pillar of the community is soon set to receive the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award, recognizing many years’ worth of work and support for a number of local institutions.

Aside from spending her very early years in Valmeyer, Vickie Gardner has lived in Waterloo her entire life.

She graduated from Waterloo High School in 1967 – she was also added to the school’s Legacy Wall in 2022 – and pursued a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois.

After earning her degree, she worked as the director of Lessie Bates Neighborhood House Daycare in East St. Louis, then moved her career back to Monroe County to work in the Department of Public Aid.

Gardner also played a key role in starting Child’s World Preschool at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Waterloo – where she has long been an active churchgoer.

She further worked as a teacher and director of the preschool from 1979-91, additionally acting as its director of Christian education from 1991-96.

On the rest of her professional career, Gardner noted she has also worked for a time at Annbriar Golf Course.

This hardly covers all of Gardner’s work in the community, however. Morrison-Talbott Library Director Jamie Wratchford described as much in her nomination letter for Gardner to receive the award.

A tremendous amount of Gardner’s time and effort over the years has been dedicated to Waterloo’s library.

As Wratchford described, Gardner served as a dedicated trustee on the library’s board for 30 years, serving as president or vice president on multiple occasions and stepping away just last summer.

Gardner also played a huge role in the library’s construction projects over the years, first in 1995 as the library moved to its current location and more recently during the 2020-21 remodeling.

“I always liked the library,” Gardner said. “I like to read, and I think it should be continued. We just have been supportive of them. When we built the new library, we all felt so good that we could finally get that done and have a better library to offer to the community but yet preserve the old library.”

She was also active as a member of the Friends of the Library organization, helping to make many fund-raising efforts successful.

Wratchford, who began her time as library director in 2020, noted she doesn’t have the longest history with Gardner but still voiced respect and appreciation for her and the work she’s done.

“From my experience with her, she just has a heart of gold, and she was available any time we needed her,” Wratchford said. “She’s the kind of person who she did not shy away from anything that was asked of her.”

She further noted some of Gardner’s more recent activity as she’s continued to actively support the library in recent years.

Wratchford specifically noted how Gardner volunteered to sell 50/50 raffle tickets at Waterloo PumpkinFest for the Friends of the Library.

“She cared so much about the library, whether it was reading to children, helping with the book sales or selling PumpkinFest tickets,” Wratchford said. “Her heart was just really in it because she was so passionate about it and believed in it. I understand from talking to other people, that’s how she was with all of her endeavors… She was doing it for the right reasons, because she was passionate about it.”

Previous library director Elaine Steingrubey also spoke to Gardner’s passion for the organization, having worked alongside her for many years.

Steingrubey noted she actually knew Gardner well before the two grew even closer in their library work as they first met when their kids were both in kindergarten.

“She was always somebody who was there,” Steingrubey said. “I could always count on her to step up and take on any role that needed to be taken on. She was really great to work with.”

Steingrubey also emphasized just how active Gardner was beyond the library – including participation in the Waterloo Municipal Band.

“Vickie is a pillar of the community in general,” Steingrubey said. “She just has been a great influence in the community in general. Active in so many things – band, swim team, the list goes on and on and on of the things that Vickie’s been involved in. I think extremely highly of her.”

Regarding Gardner’s additional responsibilities and service in the community, she served on the committee for Human Support Services for several years, also doing work in support of the Monroe County Nursing Home – now Oak Hill.

She has further been a major supporter of the Monroe County Relay for Life.

Additionally, as Wratchford noted in her nomination letter, Gardner served on the board of the Uni-Pres Kindercottage Daycare Center in East St. Louis as well as the board of Beck Vocational Center – now Career Center of Southern Illinois.

St. Paul UCC secretary Linda Mueller and music director Gary Humphrey both spoke to Gardner’s involvement in the church.

Mueller described how involved she is in the church’s general activities, always available to volunteer whenever the church needs anything.

Humphrey echoed these sentiments, also emphasizing how Gardner has been a participant in just about every musical group within the church in the decade that he’s been with St. Paul UCC.

“She’s a person who is always willing to give of herself and her time and talents and all those things,” Humphrey said. “She’s just a fantastic person, and I couldn’t recommend her any more highly for what she’s going to be getting.”

Mueller, Humphrey and Wratchford each spoke to how Gardner deserves the community service award, with long-time friend Steingrubey speaking to her community-wide work.

“She absolutely is one of the most deserving people I would ever have seen nominated,” Steingrubey said. “The influence and the support, the involvement she’s had in the community and the impact that has made in so many areas in this community is amazing.”

Gardner herself spoke to the honor she’ll soon receive.

“It feels very good,” Gardner said. “It makes you feel like a lot of that time that I spent working on these other things was worth it, but I would do it again without a doubt.”

Gardner will be presented with the award during the chamber’s “Denim & Diamonds” Annual Social at Acorns Golf Links on Thursday, March 21, at 6 p.m., with the award ceremony taking place at 8 p.m.

Those looking to register for the event can do so at enjoywaterloo.com or by calling 618-939-5300.