Born During Flu Pandemic of 1918 — Died During COVID Pandemic of 2020
By: Vicki Peel
Tags: Teacher, Tribute

Mary Belle Edmondson Gaylord

That beautiful lady in the feature photo is Mary Belle Edmondson Gaylord. She was born on May 10, 1918, amid the deadly Spanish influenza pandemic that killed over 675,000 Americans. She died on my birthday, October 28, 2020, amid the deadly Coronavirus pandemic. She was 102 years old at the time of her death. The timing of her birth and death alone distinguish her as being among what has to be a very limited number of people.

But her life, what happened between 1918 and 2020 is what distinguishes her.

She was my second-grade teacher. And I loved her, as did all the many students whose lives she touched throughout her teaching career.

I grew up during a time in which teachers were revered. If your teacher called home to tell your parents about something you did wrong, your parents automatically believed the teacher and the appropriate punishment ensued.

As a dutiful second-grader, I remember lining up at the steps leading into the back hall of Farm Life School following morning recess. I was especially proud that day because I was wearing a new dress with purple flowers on it trimmed in purple cotton fabric. My grandmother made it for me and I felt so pretty wearing it. As Mrs. Gaylord passed by on her way to the head of the line to march us back to class, she stopped beside me and said, “What a beautiful dress”. I’ve never forgotten how special that made me feel.

Even though we lived in the same small, mostly rural area, I lost contact with Mrs. Gaylord until I joined a church circle of which she was a member. She attended regularly until she became too frail. Although everyone called her Mary Belle, she was still Mrs. Gaylord to me — my second-grade teacher. Circle meetings were held at a local restaurant and she was always called upon to deliver the blessing before the meal. When she prayed, it was with both humility and power. And it would touch your heart.

When she turned 100 years old, her church threw a birthday party in her honor. All the ladies of the church prepared “pickup” foods to serve in the fellowship hall. People lined up all the way down the hall to the church entrance to get a chance to speak with Mrs. Gaylord. It was evident that she had touched many lives in her 100 years and many came to let her know that. She was radiant and greeted everyone with the beautiful smile that always revealed her love of people and life.

She lived a full and beautiful life and the best way to describe it is for me to share a portion of her obituary.

I wish every child could experience the loving guidance of a teacher like Mary Belle Gaylord. I was a teacher, too. I can only hope I touched at least one student in a way that she touched me. Every child deserves a Mrs. Gaylord.

I’m Vicki Peel, a retired educator, proud grandmother and blogger. As a former high school home economics teacher, I started H.E.R. Life Hacks to share my expertise in areas of home style, lifestyle, and food. H.E.R. stands for Home Economics Reimagined. Inner peace and self-care have never been more important than now. Download my free report, Self-Care Hacks at https://herlifehacks.com