‘Babysitting Has Been Everything to Me’

Good News

Some people leave their mark on a community through buildings, businesses, or public service. Tracy “Miss Tracy” Svrcek left her mark through generations of children, helping raise countless Fayette County residents, one day, one lesson, and one hug at a time.

Svrcek’s calling was always to care for children. However, it took an unforeseen path to get there.

“Oh, I always wanted to work with kids. I wanted to be a teacher, but never pushed myself to go to school. Babysitting has been everything to me,” said Svrcek.

“I was working at a salon for Glen Hatterman for eight years. He gave me a scholarship to send me to beauty school. It was a lot of late hours and perms, and it took a lot out of me, so Arnold, my late husband, said no more. After finishing beauty school, I went to work for Mary Blume, another beautician. I did that until Arnold got sick.

“With him being at the hospital for treatments and chemotherapy, it was unpredictable how he would react after the medicine, so I needed to be there. I started watching nurses’ kids and finished a little after 6 p.m. It really started out of necessity, because I needed to be available for my own kids and Arnold,” said Svrcek, whose in-home child- care business started in the summer of 1975.

She vividly remembers her first children. “I started with three. The Citzlers, Susie Urbanovsky Smith, and Krystal Kalina Dahse. Then, when I got licensed, I was able to have up to 12 kids, and I was almost always full. The license was so that I would be allowed to have a certain number of kiddos at six weeks old and then staggered older kiddos. So, from when I started babysitting, I would take them from six weeks old all through until kindergarten,” said Svrcek, who also made sure to take in every sibling.

Nicknamed “Miss Tracy” by the children she cared for over the years and still known by that name today, Svrcek has helped raise a doctor, a banker, a lawyer, a priest, and a dentist, just to name a few.

As the children grew up, everyone knew which ones Svrcek babysat by the values and lessons she made sure to instill in them. “I hope they remember what they learned. To be kind, courteous, mannerly, and friendly, and I think they do.”

And of course, babysitting for over five decades brings many full-circle moments, like when the children you cared for grow up and bring their own children back to you. “It was so awesome,” said Svrcek. “It happened a lot.”

Dahse recalls her time with Svrcek and bringing back her own children. “Miss Tracy’s house was not just a daycare. It was a loving, happy environment where kids learned. We started each day with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. She wasn’t just someone who took care of kids. She helped raise them. I’m 44, and my kids are 20, 17, and 13. Miss Tracy will always be a part of our family. Thank you for the love and support you have given to generations in this community. You are truly an angel on earth,” said Dahse.

Another family that has felt Svrcek’s love and support is Mike, Erica, and Marley Vasek, and they had this to say about the impact she has had on their lives: “Our journey with Miss Tracy has been a blessing, to say the least. It is difficult to fully express the love, respect, and gratitude we have for her. She began as our neighbor and opened her home to become the best babysitter we could have ever asked for.

“What makes her so special is that her role in our lives did not end there. When Marley transferred to kindergarten, our relationship continued to grow. Miss Tracy has always treated us as part of her extended family and remains one of the most cherished people in our lives.

“Over the years, her family has become our family. Through her kindness, generosity, and unwavering support, we have built friendships that will last a lifetime. I treasure every moment we have shared and every memory we continue to make together. We are truly blessed to have Miss Tracy in our lives.”

As the years turned into decades, Svrcek never thought of stopping until she had to. ”I continued to do it because I knew I loved it. And then I was home when my kids got home,” said Svrcek, who finally decided to retire at the beginning of June. “I knew it was time when I got sick. I fought it, but when I couldn’t determine when it would start, that was when it was time.”

For Svrcek, retiring has not been easy. “I will miss the kiddos, of course, but it has been nice to rest. I just keep moving.” Svrcek now plans to spend more time with her family, though one thing that hasn’t changed is the visits from her former children. “I don’t think that will ever stop,” she said.

While Svrcek’s childcare business has closed its doors, one thing that will never stop is her influence on the countless lives in our community she has taught, cared for, and most importantly loved over the years. She will always be Miss Tracy.