Mary McGinnis of Butler put aside her word search recently to chat with one of her peers, retired school teacher Eileen Parry, also of Butler.

Parry caught McGinnis up on the latest news about mutual acquaintances in the local school district during one of her many visits on behalf of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees.

Though Parry is significantly younger, the two former teachers clicked, and Parry was equally entertained by stories McGinnis shared about teaching in a two-room schoolhouse in Prospect more than 60 years ago.

"The janitor used to come in early (to tend to the pot-bellied stove) because he said that I was a 'city person' (from Butler) and wouldn't be able to do it," said the 90-year-old McGinnis, still looking the part of a teacher in gray trousers and a cream-colored blouse with an embroidered collar buttoned neatly beneath her chin.

The custodian's doubts were not unfounded.

"I burned the school down one day," said McGinnis, who, as a teacher, had the responsibility of clearing out the ashes. "I left a rag in there and it caught fire."

She held class for her 10 students in her mother's front room until the school was rebuilt.

But that incident did not slow down McGinnis' career. She taught for 33 years — right through her child-bearing years — and was sought after as one of a rare breed who taught Latin. When she retired, she helped to found the Butler chapter of PASR.

"I got together with my fellow teachers and each of us invited more teachers. Eventually we got speakers (for meetings)," said McGinnis, who just last year stopped attending meetings due to a broken hip.

Her legacy with PASR includes her creation of the Nifty Nineties, which holds an annual dinner for Butler County school employees 90 years and older.

Enthusiastic PASR volunteers like Parry and McGinnis log more than 175,000 hours each year statewide, visiting shut-ins, helping with financial and health issues, publishing quarterly newsletters, planning meetings and conventions, promoting legislation to benefit school retirees, creating travel opportunities, building homes, holding dinners and otherwise helping retired school employees.

PASR, serving Pennsylvania school retirees since 1937, has more than 41,000 members statewide. It is made up of 64 chapters in 13 regions. The 13th region comprises retirees who have moved out of state. Each chapter has 12 committee structures, all volunteer networks to serve the varied needs of members.

At the helm of the Butler Social Services Memorial Honor Fund Committee is Marsha Semple of Butler.

"Basically, the fund is set up for shut-ins who can't afford membership," she said.

"We help people get over the hump, but there are guidelines for acceptability," she added. If the local chapter does not have enough funds to fill a need, there are funds available at the state level.

Semple also coordinates the two groups of women who visit homebound retirees — Parry's group in southern Butler County and one in the north.

"We like to just go out, but if we don't, we are in touch. For holidays we put together a little goodie bag with a card and definitely get a visitation in." Members who have died are honored quarterly at luncheon meetings.

"That's what PASR is all about," McGinnis said, "teachers helping teachers."

But Parry was quick to add PASR is for custodians, food service workers, secretaries, teacher's aides — any public school retiree.

The retired employees may join a chapter in the district where they worked. Semple said the Butler County chapter services retirees as far away as Sewickley.

Several teachers from Slippery Rock and Grove City belong to the Mercer Chapter of PASR. One of those teachers, Carolyn Sack of Slippery Rock, will become Mercer County's new president in January. Sack will replace Lois Stuck, her eighth grade teacher who is also president of the state PASR.

"I accepted the nomination because I felt an obligation. PASR does so many good things. I also didn't want to disappoint Mrs. Stuck," Sack added. Stuck was her favorite teacher.

Recently the Mercer branch joined with Habitat for Humanity in remodeling a home for a single mom and her children, Sack said.

"People really responded. Some brought food and we had a new home 'shower.' PASR members from four counties donated bedding, small appliances and anything that could be used in the home," she said.

Sack said the Mercer branch will continue to work with Habitat for Humanity, is working to get an equitable cost of living increase for teachers, and is planning a tea for eight homebound teachers from Mercer County who are 90 and older.

The Mercer branch has about 600 members and celebrated its 40th anniversary last year.

About the same time Sack settles into her presidency, Margie Kirk of Butler will be taking the reigns in the Butler County Chapter of PASR.

"I've always been interested in representing our group. We've worked so hard as school employees and I think that we should just keep going," Kirk said.

She is also the Region 8 membership chair and relays information that she acquires at meetings at the state office in Mechanicsburg to chapters in Clarion, Mercer, Butler and Beaver.

Kirk said her chapter of PASR is always open to new members as long as they are retired from a school district in Butler County.

"Butler has approximately 570 members, but it's always changing because we deal with an older population. We invite people who have retired from Karns City, Moniteau, Seneca Valley, South Butler and Slippery Rock," she said.

Annual dues are $10 for local, and $45 at the state level. Each chapter determines its own price for membership.

PASR provides its members with discounts on computers, long-term insurance, financial planning and other products and services. But its main function is to be there for its members.

On the Sept. 5 visit, Parry was there for Mary McGinnis, and she brought not just one apple, but a pretty basket of apples trimmed with a bow. But more than that, she brought the world of teaching back to McGinnis in the comfort of her own easy chair.

"It's nice to remember the people. It's so wonderful to see what they are doing. You don't have to read a book or do the word puzzles," McGinnis said.