New Hanover County crossing guard serving 30+ years turns 90 years old

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A long-time school crossing guard in New Hanover County is celebrating a special milestone.  

Vada Keller has been helping children safely cross the street at Wrightsboro Elementary School for more than 30 years – and today is her 90th birthday! 

“I have 5 children, 17 grandchildren, and 33 great grandchildren,” Vada said. 

Vada Keller helps kids cross the street every morning when they are heading to school and every evening when they go home. She’s been doing it for more than three decades and said she has no plans to retire.  

“There’s so much traffic that it would hit one of those children if I didn’t stop the traffic for them to go safely across the road,” Vada said. 

November 13 is Vada’s 90th birthday. To help make her big day even more special and thank her for her service, students showered her with gifts, like a bouquet of flowers, a cake, and even a banner signed by the young students she calls her “walkers.”  

“I love them and most of them at least like me,” Vada said. 

Vada said when she is gone, the children notice and wonder where she’s been.  

“When I come back they always say, ‘where’d you go, where’d you go,’ ya know they were not happy I wasn’t here,” Vada said. 

Vada said she takes pride in knowing she has made an impact on so many “little lives” over the years.  

Many of her former “walkers” now have children of their own, who now count on Vada to make sure they get to and from school safely. 

“It makes me happy but it makes me teary too,” Vada said.