Mary Louise Sumner Thomas -- Beloved Second Grade Teacher

 

Louise Sumner Thomas

Mary Louise Sumner was born on April 28, 1911 in her parents' home on U. S. 68 in the western section of Trigg County, Kentucky.  She was the second of five children born to Derwood Floyd Sumner and Lillie Jane Thomas Sumner.  Her siblings were Ernest Raymond, born in 1908; Thomas Howell, born in 1917; Nella Agnes, born in 1920 and Eugene Lewis, born in 1927.

Louise attended the one-room Oak Grove School and in the fall of 1925, she entered Cadiz High School where she graduated in May 1929.  She then enrolled in Murray Teacher’s College, now Murray State University, for her teacher and school administration training.  In the fall of 1935, Louise had only completed a year and a half of college when she left the school and began teaching all eight grades in a one-room school in Hickory Grove, Kentucky.

After she had been at Hickory Grove for a year, the school building burned and the school was closed.  She then began teaching at another one-room school, the Delmont School in Trigg County where she taught from 1936 to 1938.  In 1939, she taught at the Siloam School for one year and the last one-room school where she taught was her home school at Oak Grove where she taught for three years, making a total of seven years of teaching in one-room schools.

During the early 1940s, Louise was able to return to Murray State University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education and was also certified in administration and supervision in May 1941.

In 1943, Louise joined the faculty at the Cadiz Graded School in Cadiz. The school had been the high school where Louise attended and had been converted to an elementary school in 1938.  Louise’s position in the school was as a second grade teacher where she taught for 20 continuous years.  In 1962, the Cadiz Graded School was closed and the students moved to a new Trigg County Elementary School.  In the spring of 1963, Louise was appointed as the principal of the new elementary school.  She served as the principal for three years.  She then requested that she be allowed to return to the second grade position because she did not like the long hours required of the principal and because of the illness of her mother. Louise continued to teach until 1971 when she retired from teaching after spending 36 years in the classroom.

On August 13, 1949, Louise married John Alex Thomas at the home of the officiating minister, Rev. J. T. Lewis in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  John was born June 20, 1907 and was the son of Lucian M. and Inez Crews Thomas, He was a descendant of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas. John was a farmer and he and Louise lived on a farm in the Oak Grove community. Louise and John had no children but had a number of nieces’ and nephews who they considered as their own children.

John died on December 22, 1982 in Cadiz, Kentucky at the age of 75.  He was buried in the Starkie Thomas Cemetery in Trigg County.  Louise suffered a severe stroke on September 13, 1978, which left her right side paralyzed. Although her active life was ended, she continued to live in her home and enjoy her visitors.  She died on September 12, 2003 in her home at the age of 92.  She was buried in the Starkie Thomas Cemetery next to her husband.

Louise and John Alex at their 25th Wedding Anniversary

 

 Louise and John Alex tombstone

LINEAGE:  (Mary Louise Sumner Thomas was the second child of Derwood Floyd and Lillie Jane Thomas Sumner.  Derwood Floyd was the fifth child of Benjamin Miles and Henrietta Gabrella Bridges Sumner.  Henrietta was the first child of Drewry and Peachie Ann Tart Bridges.  Drewry was the fourth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges.  William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)