On Wednesday, Marlboro Academy honored two people who were an integral part of the school’s history.
A dedication service was held for a memorial in front of the school that honored Tate I. Allen and Easton Curtiss Brueger.
Headmaster Joe Critcher said he never had the opportunity to meet either of them.
“However, I do know that these two people made a difference in Marlboro Academy and the world in which they lived,” he said.
Allen was a teacher at Marlboro Academy from 1969-1990. 
The wording on the plaque described her as a loving sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was a member of the original faculty and supported the school through teaching, selling cakes at the Country Store each Halloween, chaperoning a senior trip to Florida, and supporting three generations of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that attended the school.
Brueger was eight when he died in a tragic accident. He was the son of Pamela Rogers Soles and the grandson of Mike and Winnie Rogers. 
Debby Leslie, Allen’s daughter, thanked everyone who contributed to the memorial. 
She said she felt lucky to be able to look out her classroom window each day as the memorial was being completed.
“In all her years of teaching, she touched a lot of lives,” Leslie said.
Leslie has taught at the school for more than 40 years.
Allen’s son Edwin spoke about his mother being one of the first faculty members. He pointed to the building and remembered coming to the campus with his parents when it was just a slab of concrete.
“To see it from that to this is pretty amazing,” Allen said.
He expressed how much his mother loved her students and kept every Christmas present and other gifts that were given to her.
Allen felt his mother would be grateful, excited, surprised, shocked, and a little embarrassed by the monument.
“This is a great way to honor her,” he said. “But the best way to keep honoring her is to keep doing what you are doing now. Take care of this school and take care of these students.”
Winnie Rogers, the grandmother of Brueger, spoke on behalf of the family. She taught school at Marlboro Academy.
On his plaque, he is pictured with his dog, Buddy. Rogers said Buddy is still alive and just had knee surgery. She pointed out the tree in the middle of the monument area was a  Japanese Maple.
“Easton called them Chinese Trees,” she said. “This is why the tree is there.”
She thanked everyone for their part in it.
“Easton loved the Academy and the whole family thanks you,” Rogers said.
Marlboro Academy board chairman Allen Taylor said a lot of good things have been done at the school and the monument is one of those things.
He said Marlboro Academy is about dedication. He noted Allen had 21 years with the school and was involved in it.
Taylor said Brueger was a blessing to the school.
Balloons were released in memory of Allen and Brueger.
During the dedication, Critcher talked about the elements of the monument.
The Marlboro Academy board provided the funds for the flags and flagpoles, which represented the two states and this country that bind the Marlboro Academy family together.
The granite stone, provided by Warden and Smith, represents the power of what education means to the young and old.
The benches and flowers were given by Don Greene and represent the love that educators have for their students and each other.
The black chain fencing, provided by Glenn Cowan, represents the sorrow that has happened to these two members and how we cannot forget what they meant to our world.
He added the concrete and plaques were prepared through donations from friends, fellow educators, former and present students, and even strangers who recognized the impact that both had on Marlboro Academy.
“There is a closeness we can feel at this wonderful memorial,” Critcher said. “Whether you are related to the two names on these plaques or not, you can share in the kinship of being part of the Marlboro Academy family.”
After the dedication, Critcher said the project started with a desire to beautify the front of the school. From there, things started to fall into place.
The memorial was completed in the summer of 2020.
“We wanted to dedicate it a long time ago but COVID-19 stopped everything,” he said.

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