Because this is the time of year that students and teachers return to school after their summer break, the theme Amy has given us is "Back To School". And there is one more person in our extended family who was dedicated to school, and that is Miss Jimmie Ann Ramer.
Jimmie Ann was born December 3, 1931 in Dallas, Texas to James Ernest and Lottie (Thompson) Ramer.
Uncle Ernest, my paternal grandmother's oldest brother, and Aunt Lottie were married May 21, 1922, after he served in France during World War I.
According to May Ruth, Ernest and Lottie were teachers when they were young, This is what she told me about growing up, "I also remember that my mother’s brother and his wife, Uncle Ernest and Aunt Lottie Ramer, were the 2 teachers for this schoolhouse. And so they did not have anywhere to live, so mother let them have a room of our house. It was a two-story house. We children slept upstairs, and mother and daddy gave them a bedroom downstairs, so they would be there close to the school." So, teaching was in Jimmie Ann's blood! She grew up in Dallas and lived there her whole life.
And music was a huge part of Jimmie Ann's life, too! Here is the program from Jimmie Ann's first piano recital at age seven!
According to her obituary, Jimmie Ann earned two degrees from what is now known as the University of North Texas in Denton, studying music and administration.
She was an elementary music teacher for thirty years in Dallas and taught at Daniel Webster and Reinhardt schools. She was also a music Consultant with the DISD. Jimmie Ann shared her love and talent for music with her church family, too, at Oak Cliff United Methodist Church, playing the piano and singing in the choir.
After retiring from teaching, Jimmie Ann enjoyed her home business as a Mary Kay Consultant, attending Seminar and sharing her beauty advice.
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| At Mary Kay Seminar in 1983 |
In addition, Jimmie Ann was active in several professional organizations, serving as past president of the Eta Zeta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, president of the Dallas Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity, and as a member of the Dallas Music Educators Association.
Jimmie Ann never married and remained close to her family.
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| Jimmie Ann and her mother |
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| Jimmie Ann (right) and her "cousin", Margie Ferguson Bryant |
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| Jimmie Ann and her mother 1967 |
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| Jimmie Ann and her mother 1967 |
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Jimmie Ann with her aunt, Johnnie Prue and
Nell Borders Sliger (middle - Johnnie Prue's sister-in-law) |
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| Jimmie Ann and her parents |
Jimmie Ann Ramer passed away January 2, 1998, leaving a legacy of the love of music that she had shared her entire life teaching and in her church.
A memory of Jimmie Ann from my brother, Ray:
ReplyDelete"I remember one Christmas when I was around 6 or 7 we were at Papa Springers in the afternoon and I had received a toy (can't remember name) and Jimmie Ann went with me to a bedroom and built a ferris wheel out of the parts. She spent time with me instead of visiting with the adults. It took us a long time to build it but she sat there on the floor until we finished. I think it was an Erector Set. Plastic not metal. Thanks" (shared with his permission!)