Mary Gaffney Knuckles Education Foundation to give $500 scholarship

Mary Gaffney Knuckles The Mary Gaffney Knuckles Education Foundation is offering a $500 scholarship to a graduating Blacksburg or Gaffney high school senior for the college fall term. Monetary gifts were made in Mrs. Knuckles' memory at her passing in November, 2007.

The scholarship award is open to a senior who has been accepted and will enroll in college for the 2008-2009 year, and will major and pursue a career in public education.

To apply for the scholarship, students must write a 300-word essay telling why they would like to be an educator, person(s) who influenced them to pursue a career in education, career and life goals, and how they intend to address problems and make a difference in the lives of the students they will teach.

Additional requirements include three letters of recommendation, a copy of the student's official high school transcript and a completed application form.

An application packet is available in the guidance offices at the schools or by calling 864-489- 0164. Deadline to apply is July 15. The award recipient will be selected and contacted by Aug. 15 and announced immediately thereafter.

Persons wishing to contribute to the Mary Gaffney Knuckles Education Foundation are encouraged to do so. The desire is to establish an education endowment fund in her memory. Checks should be made payable to the Mary Gaffney Knuckles Education Foundation, c/o Bank of America, 1602 W. Floyd Baker Blvd., Gaffney, S.C. 29341. For further information, contact Mary Knuckles Jones, 185 Shady Grove Road; 864-489-0164.

Mrs. Knuckles taught school in Cherokee County for 40 years, beginning in two- and three-room schoolhouses at the Concord Church and Petty Town schools. She later taught at Southside, Granard, Mt. Sinai, Daniel Morgan, Macedonia and B. D. Lee elementaries. She also taught adult education night school for many years in the old Mt. Sinai Church schoolhouse.

She has taught hundreds of students over the years. One of her greatest pleasures was to reminisce and speak of her former students and many days in the classroom trying to instill concepts, principles and character. Her most pleasurable moments would be of driving her T- Model Ford to Concord School, picking up children along the way while others would hang onto the car's running board. One of her students told of her often driving cautiously behind her students as they walked the long way home so no one would fight or bother the smaller ones.

Other times, she'd tell of rooming and boarding with Estelle Camp while teaching at the old Concord Church School. She often spoke of her students and informed her listeners of how smart and obedient many of them were. She would relate the names of her students who had gone on to become teachers, principals, nurses, doctors, business leaders, preachers and solid citizens in the community.

Too, she'd tell of meeting former students in town who would walk up to her and say, "Hello, Mrs. Knuckles!! Do you remember me?" "You taught me at Mt. Sinai or Concord...!" Sometimes she'd say, "Yes, I remember you and your Mama and Daddy too, having taught several generations of many families." At other times, the former student might have to remind her of his or her name. Those moments of reflections were loving and pleasurable moments in her life.

She graduated valedictorian from the Granard Colored High School in 1934. Living out in the rural Shady Grove community, she was only able to attend and graduate from high school by rooming and boarding in town with cousins, Henry Blaine and Alzenia Gaffney on South Johnson Street. Classes were provided to only grade seven in the Negro rural schools during that time. Her brother, Richmond, would bring her home each Friday and she would return to her cousin's house Sunday afternoon.

In 1936, she graduated from Friendship Junior College. Then, teachers could teach school with a two-year degree. She loved to tell that she was "Mary Gaffney from Gaffney" and when Professor Goudelock, the college president who also taught algebra, would leave the campus, he would send for "Mary Gaffney from Gaffney" to teach his classes. She was often quick to remind us that she was a "mathematician!" She later traveled to Benedict College on a weekly basis during the summer months and earned her B.A. degree in Elementary Education in 1953. She did graduate study at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro.

Mrs. Knuckles loved children and loved to teach. She always encouraged young people to pursue an education, study hard and never give up. She was a "giver" from her heart and many, many times gave funds to a young person struggling to become "somebody." She would announce in church or in meetings…if there is a young person here who wants to go to college, but does not have the money try me and see if I will not help you…and she meant it. She felt so blessed and always wanted to be a blessing to others. She and her husband, Rev. L. C. Knuckles, "lived in a house by the side of the road and were a friend to man for 69 years" (he still lives). They never said "no" to anyone who needed help. You didn't have to ask, if they knew help was needed, they offered it.

On Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007, Mary Gaffney Knuckles went home to be with the Lord at the age of 96. Surely many of the lessons she taught and the examples she set will live on in the hearts and lives of many.

(The preceding article was submitted by Mrs. Knuckles' daughter, Mary Knuckles Jones, and husband, Rev. London C. Knuckles.)