After four years of hard work, Willard “Bud” Mutchler, 85, received his GED in November through the Webster Learning Center. Bud is one of the oldest students to receive the GED through this program.

Bud Mutchler left school after the eighth grade to go to work on farms during World War II, and did not complete high school. He worked delivering freight, and was drafted into the army during the Korean War.

He went on to work as a heavy equipment operator, helping to build I29 and I35, and has since retired.

“I didn’t have anything to do when I heard about the GED®. I sat in there and started taking classes,” said Mutchler. “The more I did the GED®, the more it got to me and I had to do it more.”

Mutchler took classes through Webster in St. Joseph and Savannah. “I was at it four years, and I studied it every night except the nights we went dancing,” he said. “I passed everything but the writing. My penmanship is terrible and my spelling was worse than that. I really had to learn that all over. I about wore out the little dictionary trying to find words.”

“All of the other students I have are in their twenties or teens, and a few in their thirties,” said his teacher Kay Edson. “We all admire Willard so much, because of his conviction that he could pass this test. He worked steady and hard.”

(News Release)