Drusilla Best

Drusilla Agnes Paskey was born on September 30, 1920, in Windom, MN, the daughter of John Frank Paskey and Ila Marie (Fredenburg) Paskey. Drusilla had a younger brother, Donald, and sister, Geneva. Drusilla grew up in Waubun, MN, and graduated from Waubun High School.

Drusilla, who was known by her family as "Puddy", attended Moorhead Teachers College, where she graduated in 1947 with an Elementary Education Degree. She taught in a one room school in northern MN-and then moved to Faribault, MN. Drusilla would the tell the story of her train ride from Waubun to Faribault, arriving at the station, taking a cab to her rooming house only to find that her room had been rented to someone else. At that point, she would say she wondered if she was doing the right thing with her life. Her room disaster got resolved and she started her teaching career in 1948, and shortly after her arrival, she met her future husband, Harry Best.

Drusilla Paskey and Harry Best were married on Dec. 23, 1950, in Minneapolis. They built a lovely home in Faribault in a new development in 1952 where they lived all of their married lives. Harry passed away unexpectedly in 1965. They had been married for 15 years.

Teaching was truly her calling in life and she loved it. Drusilla taught school for 40 years. Thirty-nine years were spent in the Faribault school system, mainly at the Jefferson Elementary School teaching second grade. She completed her Master's in Education at Mankato State University in 1963.

She still remembered who she had in her classrooms--some of the children who were naughty, and good readers, if they were from a large or small family, her classrooms, her bulletin board, kids' parents, her thesis, her peers, staff members and principals. She loved being an educator!

She served on committees for her school, union and church. She loved playing her Mom's favorite hymns on her piano, sewing, kitting, gardening and reading.

Drusilla stayed in her home in Faribault MN until she fell and broke a hip in September 2004. After her recovery, she moved into the Brookdale Senior Living facility in Faribault, where she spent the last years of her life. She kept her home until 2010. When Drusilla was still able to get around town, she would take a cab to go to her bank, grocery shop, post office and then she would visit her home, which she dearly loved. Dru would tell the cab driver a time that she wanted to be picked up from her home, she hauled bags and boxes back to her senior living facility so she could go through her precious memories, one at a time.

Dru was a 60 year plus member of the Fourth Avenue Methodist Church in Faribault.

She is survived by her brother-in-law Donald Wambach, Moorhead, MN, and her sister-in-law, Charlotte Paskey, Mahnomen, MN. She also leaves behind several nieces and nephews.

Drusilla was preceded in death by her husband, Harry Best, parents, John and Ila Paskey, her brother, Donald Paskey and her sister, Geneva Wambach.

Our family would like to thank the Brookdale Senior Living staff. They were always wonderful, and the support offered during the last months of her life was truly a blessing. We can't thank them enough for all they did for Dru. God Bless all of you.

Drusilla's funeral service will be on Saturday Nov. 11, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. with a visitation held one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at Maple Lawn Cemetery, Faribault.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the Fourth Avenue Methodist Church