Reading garden dedicated to 95-year-old

Bonita Springs Elementary school Principal David Short stands with Gertude Nielsen, 95, during a dedication ceremony for Nielsen's birthday. Students sang happy birthday and dedicated a reading garden in her honor.


Gertude Nielsen, 95, reads to Suzanna Martinez, 5, during a dedication ceremony for Nielsen's birthday. Students sang happy birthday and dedicated a reading garden in her honor.

Gertrude Neilsen got the surprise of her life when she walked out of the media center at Bonita Springs Elementary to students singing “happy birthday” and cheering her on.

Neilsen turned 95 on Friday and had a dedication ceremony held in her honor at the school on Wednesday.

Students and teachers got the idea to celebrate her birthday by dedicating a reading garden named after Neilsen.

“Every year we do something for her birthday but we thought that 95 is a big birthday so we wanted to do more,” said Allyson Lutz, who used to be the librarian at the media center when Gertrude started there 3 years ago. “It’s a wonderful legacy for her to have here. She has done so much for the students.”

Gertrude spends five days a week at the school reading with students, re-shelving books and helping students check books out.

“I’m flabbergasted!,” said Neilsen, after seeing the garden that includes a bench so students can spend time reading with mentors or friends.

The garden will eventually have flowers and some ground cover. “I can’t believe that. Why didn’t they tell me? What a surprise,” she said.

The surprise touched Neilsen who teared up when she received birthday cards from students and heard a speech about everyone’s appreciation for her work at the media center.

“I dream of filing books at night,” Neilsen said. “I sure do.”

And students are hoping she is able to continue to work with them for years to come. Students will have access to the reading garden during media center hours.

“She does such a wonderful job and I think this is such a way to show we appreciate her,” Lutz said. “She is an inspiration to us all.”