When Betty Lou Artman of 59 Quartermile Road in Hempfield Township looked out her window Tuesday morning, her normally nicely landscaped lot had been taken over by a herd of cows.

But the bovines were just a friendly birthday surprise from two neighbors who wanted to help her celebrate her 80th birthday.

"I guess they hired this outfit from Warren, Ohio, to place 50 cows and the birthday sign on my yard," said Miss Artman, a longtime educator with the Hermitage School District for whom Artman Elementary School is named. "Consequently, there were cars stopping and people knocking on the door. Neighbors wanted to take pictures. Even friends from Warren, Ohio, came to take pictures."

The culprits were her two friends -- Ruby Gaiser, former Hickory High guidance counselor, and Janice Johnson, former Hickory High English teacher. Both retired about the same time Miss Artman did.

"They retired the same year and sure enough, they moved into my neighborhood," said Miss Artman with a laugh.

Besides have a school building named for her, Miss Artman also holds the distinction of working longer for Hermitage schools than anyone else has -- 45 years. She worked there from September 1943 to February 1989.

"I graduated from Thiel College (in 1943) at 11 a.m., and I had an interview with the school district at 1 p.m.," she said, explaining that the school was in need of teachers, especially in the field of science, because all the men were going off to fight World War II.

"I remember at the time, you also had to be interviewed by three school board members, and one of them lived on a farm, and was impressed because I knew what a John Deere tractor was," Miss Artman said, noting she grew up on a farm.

After teaching science, she became the district's first guidance counselor, first psychologist, first supervisor of special education and, finally, Director of Personnel and Pupil Services.

And retiring hasn't slowed her down much.

"I am a volunteer at UPMC Horizon hospital (in Greenville) and on the board of directors for St. Paul Homes," she said.

"My big idea is to keep totally involved. Things can only become better if people become involved and give of their time in helping others."