Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Legend honored at banquet

A local legend was honored at the 16th Annual Ila Upchurch Banquet, as Upchurch herself was recognized for the contributions she made to education and life in Nevada County.

The banquets theme was: A Tribute to a Legacy, with Patricia Blake acting as mistress of ceremonies. At the outset Blake reminded the audience this was a banquet but urged all to loosen up and enjoy the program.

Joyce Gibson, Nevada County librarian, got things started by discussing the annual Upchurch Scholarship. This year, she said, things are being done differently. In the past the scholarship winner was named at the banquet, but this wasnt the case this time.

Instead, Gibson listed the four candidates for the scholarship, saying the winner would be named at the Awards Day ceremonies at Prescott High School Thursday, May 12. The four are: Jon Henry, Shana Johnson, Markita McKillion and Nicole Stuart.

What better way to pay tribute to a legacy than through scholarship, Gibson said. Ila Upchurch valued education, and when we show the young we value them enough to help them along it helps keep the legacy alive.

Henry Butler presented the Citizen of the Year Award to Michelle Rhodes. This is a unique award, he said, because it usually goes to someone who does something above and beyond the call of duty. This years person accomplished that.

Rhodes, he said, works with the youth at her church, graduated PHS, was a president of the Charmettes, founded Generation Next and works in the community.

Educator of the Year went to Yvonne Thomas. The award was presented by Willie Wilson, who said Thomas cant say no when it comes to lending a hand. Shes always willing to do her part.

Thomas taught at Prescott for a while, but now teaches at Emmet.

According to Wilson, when she came back to Prescott after college the majority of her students were problem children, those from broken homes or who had been pushed aside. But she worked with them, helping form them into winners and productive citizens.

Rhodes, presenting the Im Third Award spoke about a young lady who risked her life to save members of her family from a fire. The award went to Taylor Hopson, whom Rhodes said has courage and displayed bravery in rescuing her family from a burning building.

Following the awards members of the community gave personal recollections of Upchurch.

Kizzie Walters got things started saying Ila Upchurch could get a program over and was able to get things done.

She said Upchurch was a sewer and sewed for everyone on town, as well as doing other things in the community. She was a beautiful woman.

Geraldine Johnson, 95, followed, saying Upchurch came to her house in 1925 and visited with people. She asked me if why I wasnt at school and I told her it was because of the teacher. If she got a new teacher Id come back. She did and I went to the sixth grade.

Upchurch, she said, organized the Nevada County Training School in Rosston. This school went through the ninth grade.

Jefferson said she lived with Upchurch until she (Jefferson) married. She was the best woman besides my mother Ive ever seen.

Rev. Daniel Flemons said Upchurch was a wonderful person, someone he had known since the early 1930s. So respected was Upchurch Flemsonss sister was named after her.

Flemons said he went to the Upchurch Training School in 1943, after completing school in a one-room schoolhouse.

She started the hot lunch program, he said. We used to carry our lunches in buckets because we couldnt afford paper sacks. According to Flemons, Upchurch couldnt pay anyone to cook, but there were volunteers who showed up and provided the meals at three-cents a lunch.

Upchurch also started the home economics program, he said, and was community minded. She taught women how to can with pressure cookers and was a good motivator.