The Pinecone
|
July 2013
• 7 •
Betsye French has had a family life
and, then, a KP Library life. A snapshot
of each is set out below.
Betsye was born in Memphis, TN in
1917
to Joseph and Edith Fowler. They
also had a son, Morgan. Her father was
an electrical contractor and her mother
was a homemaker. Her brother is a
retired General Sessions Judge, and he
and his wife, Betty, are recent residents
of Kirby Pines.
Re s i den t Spo t l i gh t
Betsye French
Betsye
graduated
from
Southwestern College, with a Major
in Latin. Her earliest memories are
going to the Madison Heights Library,
checking out the maximum limit of 4
books each time. Her love of reading
has remained steadfast to this day.
After college, Betsye married Dr.
William Edward French, a General
Surgeon. Betsye was a homemaker;
and they had three talented daughters.
The French family had a good life, with
much travel, church and social events,
and pleasure in raising their daughters.
Betsye and her husband came to Kirby
Pines in 1998. Dr. French passed away
in 1999.
The written word is powerful,
feeding the mind and warming the
heart.
In 2001, as part of the expansion
of Kirby Pines, Charles Trammell
planned for a first class library. About
that same time, on becoming a widow,
Betsye looked for opportunities to be
useful to the Kirby Pines community.
It was her lifelong love of reading that
drove her to be involved in Charles
Trammell’s plan to enlarge and upgrade
the inadequate Library. Mr. Trammell
selected the very visible location for
the new Library with easy access for
residents and visitors, and Betsye
sought out seasoned librarians from
the Germantown Library and the Christ
Methodist Church Library, to learn the
art of preparing books for check-out, as
well as preserving, and repairing books.
Robert Nichols also provided excellent
help in interior planning of the library.
From a small cramped library of
approximately 1,000 books, Residents
now have a wide and diverse collection
of more than 4,000 books, from classics
to mysteries, as well as videos, journals
and magazines, plus a room with
computers and printers, and computer
instruction. A Library Committee
comprised of Dorothy Hartzog,
Pat Mitchell, Helen McGill, Amiee
Barksdale, and Dr. Robert Parrish have
duties in the Library and also work as a
team to advise on management issues.
The Kirby Pines community agrees
that the written word feeds the mind and
warms the heart; and, due to Betsye’s
decades-long dedication to the Library,
we can satisfy our hunger. Kirby Pines
honors Betsye French for her special
ministry.
-
Jacqueline Besteman
Kirby Pines Resident
Congratulations
G l ady s Hou s e
emp l oyee o f t he mon t h
Gladys House is simply wonderful.
Known as the “Human G.P.S.” to her transporation co-workers, she
is always on top of things! Gladys comes in early (5:30 a.m.) to make
sure residents rarely have to take a cab to any appointment they might
have and she does so with the sweetest of smiles for them.
Gladys is the one to step up and make sure everything is running
smoothly when her supervisor needs her and she is the absolute best at
finding new places in Memphis since she knows the city so well.
Thank you Gladys for a job well done.
-
Faye Smith, Head of Transportation, Kirby Pines
