'I'll be back': 94-year-old crossing guard retires after 57 years at New Jersey school
Claire Bauman, 94, retires after 57 years as a crossing guard.
CHERRY HILL, N.J. - Claire Bauman is finally hanging up her stop sign after nearly six decades on the job.
The 94-year-old crossing guard got the celebrity treatment Monday as she arrived at Horace Mann Elementary School in Cherry Hill in style - a flashy limousine!
Family, friends, alumni and current students gathered to celebrate her lengthy career and send her off on a happy retirement.
"We love her for caring for our kids, giving service to our community and showing up every day," said Dr. John J. Cafagna, principal of Horace Mann Elementary School.
Snow, sleet and rain have been no match for Bauman since her first day - November 29, 1965.
However, she wasn't always confident she could do the job.
"I said I'll give you a week, and here I am 57 years later," she joked.
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Nearly 60 years have passed, and in that time she's seen three generation of kids cross her path.
"The kids got me through a lot of things in my life," she said. "If it wasn't for them, I don't think I would have been able to."
Bauman will serve her final day as crossing guard on Tuesday, but she already knows she's going to miss it.
"I'll be back," she said.