Lela Alma Davidson

Notes:

San Augustine Tribune
January 16, 1997, Page 8

Lela Wyatt's 100 Years Celebration Saturday at Twin Lakes

Lela Davidson Wyatt celebrates her One Hundredth birthday Saturday, January 18, 1997. [Assumed Saturday, January 18 was chosen to celebrate because it was a weekend, according to the SSDI, Lela's actual date of birth was January 18, 1897.]

Her friends and famiy are invited to come out to Twin Lakes Care Center between 2:00 and 4:00 that afternoon to share in this celebration.

Lela has had a very interesting life. She taught school for 41 years. She graduated from Huntsville Teacher's Normal that is now known as Sam Houston State Southwest Texas Teacher's College and Stephen F. Austin State University where she received her BA and MA. Her first degree was handed to her by Lyndon B. Johnson. Her first experience in teaching was in 1912-1913 at the age of 16. She was chosen by the community to take the teacher's exam. She was awarded a teacher's certificate to teach in Sabine County. Her salary was $37.50 per month and she paid $7.00 for her room and board per month to Mr. and Mrs. Hamp Pratt.

Some of the places she taught were Pratt, Lowe's Chapel (Allen Old Mill), Milam, Camp Springs, New Hope, Spring Hill, Mt. Nebo, Henry Hill, Shady Grove, Grange Hall, Denning, Black Jack and Diboll, where she taught 17 years before retiring. After retiring she still worked as a substitute and then at the Lively Furniture. She has always been active in her church, First Baptist of Lufkin where she lived from 1946-1991.

Lela was born in 1897 in Milam, Texas to Calvin and Della Davidson. She was the oldest of 8 children. The family home still stands in Milam under the big oak tree where a lot of memories were made. She has one sister, Ivy Kirk of Houston, still living. She has a daughter, Dorothy Chandler of New Braunfels, a step-daughter Alice Dillon of Nacogdoches, a step-son, Henry Wyatt of Nacogdoches, 3 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren.

At her retirement dinner, a brother said it best when he quoted from Margurite Stanley about what he attributed her long life: "She has achieved success because she has lived well, laughed often, and loved much. She has gained the confidence and respect of Godly men and pure women and the love of little children. She has filled her niche in life and accomplished her task. She has made the world better than she found it by her devotion to duty and her consecrated life. Surely we can say of her life is an inspiration and her memory will be a benedicition."

Lela still enjoys her family and friends coming by to see her. She says her memory is not as good as it used to be, but what can you expect after 100 years? She resides now at Twin Lakes Care Center where she is one of the official greeters as you come to visit.

(Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, June 2009)

Lela married Edgar Rawson Wyatt before 1925. Edgar was born on 13 Feb 1902; died on 24 Dec 1991 in Angelina County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]