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Why May Justus Came to Grundy County
by M. Sharon Herbers
One of the many smart
decisions made by Dr. Lilian Johnson was to convince May
Justus to move to Grundy County. Dr. Johnson had a dream of
establishing a model mountain school but she needed teachers
who were willing to move to the mountain and become active
members of the community. Dr. Johnson first heard of May
Justus from her sister-in-law, Eva, in 1920. May was a young
teacher and writer with a deep love of books, children, and
storytelling. At that time, May and her dear friend, Vera
McCampbell of Knoxville, were teaching in a mission school
in Kentucky.
When Dr. Johnson met May at
her sister-in-law’s home in Memphis, she knew that Miss
Justus was the right person for the job. Although May was
genuinely interested in the project, she was already
teaching in a mountain school and she felt she was doing the
work of God. Undaunted, Lilian Johnson continued to follow
May’s work from a distance. When Johnson heard that Vera’s
mother was ill and needed close medical supervision, Johnson
paid a call. She described her work and promised the
teachers that they would have access to the necessary
support and services for Mrs. McCampbell. They agreed to
come to Grundy County with the intention of staying a year
or two.
May,Vera and her mother
settled into a two room house, next to Summerfield School.
May taught the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades,
while Vera taught the girls cooking and sewing. Another
teacher, Mary B. Thompson, taught the younger children and
served as playground director. After Mrs. McCampbell’s death
less than a year later, the two women considered their
options. According to Justus in Eliot Wigginton’s Refuse
to Stand Silently By: An Oral History of Grass Roots Social
Activism in America, 1921-1964, Dr. Johnson sealed the
deal when she said, “I don’t see why you two don’t feel like
you could do as much to serve the Lord, humanity in general,
and me in particular by staying on here.” And so they
stayed.
Other reading:
Bennett, K. (2005, January/February).
Author and activist May Justus worked to
preserve Appalachian
heritage. The Tennessee Conservationist, 4-7.
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