Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-08-26
PASSING OF A BELOVED TEACHER
For Over Half Century Margaret
Croft Wrought Indelibie Influences
on the Lives of Waterbury Boys and
Girls.

Miss Margaret Croft. IS, for half a
century one of the most potent intiu-
ences for good in Waterbury, died
Sunday night at $40 O'Clock at her late
ease, suparinduced by general decline
in health, caused her DEATH which
came quietly and painlessly after sew
eral hours of Inconsistencies.
The half masted flags on the Crosby
High school and the Margaret Croft
sentiment. as almost every living resi-
dent of Waterbury who has attended
the Crosby High school is mourning
Miss Croft today.
To few women has it been given to
influence so many lives; to make SO
durable an impression on the hearts
and characters of hundreds of meE
and women as Miss Croft has. And
particularly is it true that every boy
who ever studied Latin under Miss
Croft remembers her with love and
gratitude and tender respect.
For more than so years Miss Croft
taught in the public schools. serving
the city quietly, faithfully. but better
than she knew; cultivating in the
minds of her pupils a deep regard and
intelligent appreciation for the clas-
sizes. infusing honesty and industry and
helpfulness into the characters of
hundreds of Waterbury's citizens to be.
Her gentle but uncompromising disci-
pline, her thorough understanding OF
human nature, her absolute sense of
justice and her ever available fund of
humor and kindly sarcasm made her
particularly adapted to deal with boys.
To the girls under her care Miss Croft
was not only a thorough instructor,
but a motherly adviser, but to the
boys she was Instructor and companion
and mother and father, all in one.
Besides her interest in her work and
in those who were committed to her
charge. Miss Croft had a keen AMI
surprisingly accurate Knowledge and
appreciation of current events. She
knew much more about the trend of
political affairs. for instance, than do
most men. Her broad outlook and far
sightedness would have endowed her
with the qualities of a statesman. had
she been a man. And yet somehow one
never lest sight of her wholesome
womanliness.
= At the time of her retirement. in
January. 1910. Miss Croft was rs years
old. She had taught in the Waterbury
schools for more than half century.
Born in Waterbury jan %, 1885,. the
daughter of James and Polly w. Gar
teri Croft. she received her early edu-
cation here and later, in 1850. enter I'd
Mt. Holyo;<e seminary. after teaching
Year in the Bucks Hill school. She
went to college for a year. then taught
for another year in Kensington. and
the FOLLOWING year returned to Nj.
Hoiyoke, where she was graduated
with honor in 1856. Just before the
Civil war. and during the first part
of it, she taught in, Mississippi and
Georgia. In 1853 she returned 10
Waterbury to teach in the old Center
school district.
Through Miss Croft's influence the
Crosby grammar school. as it was Their
called was made what It is today
When the high school was built she
took charge Of the lassicaI depart
'nenr AMI her fine work was soon rec
osnized by the re- naming OF the Cros-
by grammar school in her honor It
--as been the Margaret Croft school
ever since--Waterbury Republican.