Connecting Generations: DeSoto ISD’s McCowan MS Library Assistant Shares Family History Journey
Be more intentional about your dash”... is one of the
treasured notes shared by Laurene Ragsdale, DeSoto ISD library assistant at
Curtistene S. McCowan Middle School, as she recounted her genealogy story to a
roomful of grandparents and their young scholars during the Grandparents Day
celebration event.
Ms. Ragsdale became part of the DeSoto ISD campus library
staff about three years ago after retiring from a 22-year corporate telecom
career and stint in the field of law. As one who loves reading books and
history and also volunteers at a local city library, she is grateful for the
opportunity to make a unique impact on these DeSoto ISD Eagles and their
families.
Increasing literacy and a love for reading is Ragsdale’s
mission as a library assistant but her impact and passion spread much greater.
Her goal is not only to inspire students to read but too become researchers in
their families, ask questions, and become keepers of their own history.
“I didn’t know my grandfather was a school bus driver, and
it was finding the resolutions read at his funeral service that I learned about
the many impacts he and my grandmother had made in the community and society.”
The two passed away before she was born but that newfound knowledge became the
fuel for her to uncover her history.
Ragsdale now understands the journey of tracing and
documenting a family legacy and has experience in genealogy research—a quest
for knowledge and history that took her from the rich soil of cemeteries to the
continent of Africa.
Now, she knows about the people and the faces in the photos
displayed in her family art gallery and has authored a book titled Our Past,
Our Way, which speaks to this experience of learning about her grandmother.
“Growing up, they spoke about the 'book of births,' and no
one knew where the book was. I wondered what they were referring to, said
Ragsdale. “I began my search and discovered that my grandmother was a town
midwife who delivered about 123 babies during her lifetime.”
During the campus celebration of Grandparents Day, Ragsdale
served as the keynote speaker and provided a glimpse into her passion for
preserving and archiving family history. She also shared discoveries and
allowed participants to meander through her family history gallery filled with
old photos.
She also admonished students to learn their family history
while they have their grandparents with them.
“I didn’t have the chance to know my grandparents
personally, but through their children and my family lineage, I’ve been able to
learn a lot about who they were,” said Ragsdale. “These children, however, have
the opportunity to know their grandparents now. Grandparents are our
legacy—they have so much to share. Knowing your family history can help you
discover who you are and why you’re drawn to certain paths or careers. We
should celebrate our grandparents.”
All participants also received a starter toolkit for
students and their grandparents to begin their own process of recording their
family history. Students were asked to make an intentional effort to learn the
story of their past.
“Find out at least one new thing a week about your
grandparent,” advised Ragsdale. “Do you know their favorite color? Their
hobby?”
At the close of the event, grandparents expressed their
appreciation and joy for spending such valuable moments with their young
scholars.
Curtistene S. McCowan Middle School student Kendrick Taylor
and his grandmother, Mary Bland, shared several hugs and smiles during the
one-hour event. Some other grandparents were moved to tears by the event, while
others expressed gratitude for the spotlight on this important topic.
Mr. Bill and Mrs. Lola Gresham, grandparents of Connor, an
eighth grader at the campus, sat smiling along with their scholar as they
awaited the celebration. “He called and invited us, and we were excited. We
drove in from Oklahoma this morning just to be here. We love him and try to
keep up with him,” they said collectively.
Ms. Gresham shared more on the need for grandparents. “A lot
of times, kids need guidance from older people, too, so grandparents are very
important. We appreciate this invitation.”
The event was one of two made possible by a campus library
“Reading is Grand” grant award from the Black Caucus American Library
Association, Inc., and promoted in partnership with the DeSoto Public Library
and its National Library Card Month initiative.
For more information visit www.desotoisd.org.