Verna Trujillo dressed as the Easter Bunny to wave to school buses as they go by this week. She was joined by her great-granddaughter Lenix Trujillo on Tuesday morning.
Children wave as they pass by Verna's house on Tuesday morning.
One of Verna Trujillo's most recent outfits was spring-inspired.
Bus 174 Aide Angie Paperini and Driver Alicia Brock stop by Verna Trujillo's house on their route.
Verna Trujillo was joined by her great-granddaughter Lenix Trujillo when she waved to buses last Tuesday morning.
Verna Trujillo's first outfit was a witch-inspired look for Halloween.
Just as the sun was coming up Tuesday morning, School Bus 174 stopped on its way to Monroe Elementary School so students could wave to the Easter Bunny. The Easter Bunny, in this case, was 86-year-old Verna Trujillo, who has been waving to students nearly every day for the past six months.
Miss Verna, as the students call her, loves to dress up in fun and festive costumes to stand out on her porch amidst her large inflatable decorations and wave to the school bus drivers and the students as they start their day.
Verna Trujillo was joined by her great-granddaughter Lenix Trujillo when she waved to buses last Tuesday morning.
"It's just been a fun thing," Verna said.
While Verna has often waved to the buses in the past, even bringing out a checkered flag to wave around on the last day of school last year, the addition of costumes started at Halloween.
"My son said 'Mom, go down to the secondhand store and get a witches hat, just a hat, and the kids will just love it.' That's what did it," Verna explained. "I went down and got that. Then I got the shirt, then I got the rest, and it just progressed right from there."
Verna Trujillo's first outfit was a witch-inspired look for Halloween.
After Halloween, Verna started thinking of more costumes she could put together. From Santa for Christmas to Cupid for Valentine's Day to a leprechaun for St. Patrick's Day, she has continued to come up with themed costumes to wear. Putting all the costumes together herself, often from secondhand items or pieces she makes, Verna makes sure every look is unique.
"I want my costume, not the commercial ones," she said.
Verna also enjoys inflating her festive blow-up decorations on her porch to complete the look each morning, as long as it's not too windy.
"The blow-ups have been mine for a long time," she said, explaining that just like with the costumes now, her blow-up collection was something that she kept adding to over time. "You start with one, and you get two, and then you get another one – uh oh, here's another holiday," she said.
The themed decorations and costumes have drawn attention, making Miss Verna an essential part of the school day for many students. Bus 174 in particular drives past multiple times, and the kids always wave. Several other buses go past the area on their routes as well, and there are "more and more all the time" that come along, according to Verna.
Children wave as they pass by Verna's house on Tuesday morning.
"Even some of the cars now are starting to wave," Verna said, adding that the cars get stuck behind the bus when it slows down.
On special occasions, the bus will stop so Miss Verna and the students can interact and even exchange gifts. At Christmastime, Verna was invited onto the bus so the students could sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." She has also given the children little "trinkets," like bubble wands or candies.
"They gave me a card for my birthday, and they all signed it, and it was so much fun," Verna added, explaining that her 86th birthday was last Saturday. "I was happy with that."
As a long-time resident of Green River, having lived here for the past six decades, Verna has been a large part of the community in many ways. Her husband Bob ran the meat market at the grocery store when they moved here in 1964, she explained, before he began working for the railroad. Her son Fred now owns the Red Feather Bar. And Verna herself is actively involved with the Golden Heart Senior Center, teaching the Macrame Chair Class twice a week. With so many connections in the community, Verna has shared her festive costumes with more than just the school buses.
"The first day, here I was in this witch thing, and I thought, 'I'm all dressed up, and no place to go. I know. I'll go to the senior center and I'll give them a thrill,'" Verna said.
She shared her witch costume at Golden Hour, the Green River Post Office, Wyoming Embroidery and the Red Feather. It was such a hit, she has continued sharing her new costumes since then. She said it's reached the point that when she goes to the senior center and isn't dressed up, people will ask, "Where's your costume?"
"They've all enjoyed it so much, and I have too," Verna said. "It just keeps me going. It's brought me out since I lost my husband."
While Verna loves the chance to share her costumes, she especially enjoys being around children and focuses on dressing up for them.
"I just make the kids happy and I enjoy it," she said.
The kids enjoy it as well, as do Alicia Brock and Angie Paperini from Bus 174. Alicia is the bus driver, and Angie is the bus aide. While multiple buses go by Verna's house on their routes, including several for Monroe and some for other schools, including Green River High School, Bus 174 puts a special focus on making sure to see Miss Verna every day.
Bus 174 Aide Angie Paperini and Driver Alicia Brock stop by Verna Trujillo's house on their route.
"We do a little detour taking the kids to school so that they can wave to her, and they absolutely love it," Alicia said.
Originally driving past Verna's house only before picking up the kids, Alicia and Angie decided to start driving by again with the students, encouraging them to wave to the "cute little old lady" who lives alone. They thought it would make her day, as it did, but it ended up making theirs as well.
"It's a kind of mutual love at this point," Angie said. "We give love back, and she keeps giving love back again, and that's very important."
Angie and Alicia noted that the connection to Miss Verna has helped teach the students compassion and helped them be more aware of caring for other people. One day when Verna wasn't on her porch, the students were so worried they had Alicia and Angie stop the bus and go knock on her door to check on her. She was fine, but now she has to let them know when she won't be there so the kids don't worry.
As Miss Verna and the students build their connection, their compassion has started to spread. While Alicia has been working as a driver for six years and Angie has been working for four, they said they've never seen anything like what Miss Verna does before. However, now they're starting to see it more.
"Now on the same street there is another lady who gets out in the morning," Angie explained. "She waves at us. So it's a contagious thing. A beautiful contagion."
However, Alicia also knows that there is something special about Verna.
One of Verna Trujillo's most recent outfits was spring-inspired.
"She will be remembered," Alicia said. "She's building a legacy for herself right now."
Verna is happy to think that she may be giving students something fun to remember, and she has no plans to stop anytime soon.
"As long as I can do it, I probably will," she said.
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