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Fairfield remembers former teacher at ‘Walk for Nohema’
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FAIRFIELD – The fourth annual Walk for Nohema was held Saturday morning, May 10 in Fairfield’s Chautauqua Park.
Fairfield High School’s Student Council puts on the event to honor former FHS Spanish teacher Nohema Graber, who was murdered in 2021. Graber was a frequent visitor to Chautauqua Park, walking its trail every day after school. Ella Holderbaum and Elyse Setterstrom were a few members of the committee that organized the walk, and they said that they collected 18 baskets from local businesses for the silent auction that day.
Casey’s donated donuts, and Cranston Family Funeral Home donated water to the walkers. Holderbaum and Setterstrom said the Student Council was grateful for all the donations, and hopes to have even more items next year. Proceeds from the walk go toward a scholarship in Graber’s honor.
At the time of Graber’s death, Holderbaum was a freshman and Setterstrom was an eighth-grader. They both recalled what a difficult time it was for students and staff, first learning that Graber had gone missing, and then being notified that classes were canceled.
“As soon as they announced we could leave school, everybody was crying,” Holderbaum said. “I was crying, because we all figured what happened.”
Setterstrom said that, even though she was in middle school at the time and had not met Mrs. Graber, she knew of her and knew that she was a beloved teacher.
“I didn’t know her but I was really sad,” Setterstrom said. “The thought of someone in our community committing something like that was so tragic.”
Setterstrom and Holderbaum said the Student Council is proud to hold the Walk for Nohema to honor her life and the legacy she left behind.
Attending this year’s walk were Graber’s children Christian and Nohema Marie, both graduates of FHS. Nohema Marie said she appreciated the Student Council organizing it, and enjoyed reminiscing about her mother with those who knew her from the school and from St. Mary Catholic Church. Christian remarked that his heart was warmed by the support the community showed his family Saturday morning.
“Fairfield has always had such a wonderful sense of community, where people are always there for each other,” he said.
After losing their mother in 2021, Christian and Nohema Marie lost their father Paul in 2023, and their brother Jared died in April of this year.
“We had five members of the family, and now we’re down to two,” Christian said. “It’s quite a change, but I also think that God puts us through these situations to come out stronger for the better. I can see how some people in this situation would hit a breaking point, but luckily with a lot of help we’ve gotten from the community, our family and our faith, we’ve been able to get through a rather difficult chapter.”
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
