Teacher who died in 2008 still helping students achieve
More than 50 Marble Falls High School graduates received Lemmah A. Perry Fund scholarships during Senior Scholarship Night earlier this year. Perry, a former Marble Falls High School home economics teacher who passed away in 2008 at the age of 86, left her estate to provide scholarships to students who might otherwise not be able attend a university, college, or technical school. Courtesy photo
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Though retired Marble Falls High School home economics teacher Lemmah A. Perry passed away in 2008, she continues to impact students’ education, even helping 2019 graduates to pursue their dreams of higher education.
The Marble Falls Education Foundation announced that the Lemmah A. Perry Scholarship Fund awarded 56 scholarships this year.
Perry was a home economics teacher at the high school for a number of years. With no extended family, she decided to bequeath what little she did have to provide scholarships for graduating seniors who might not be able to attend college without those extra dollars.
“To her, it was a simple thing: She was doing something from the heart,” said Dale Brown, a former Lemmah A. Perry Fund trustee.
The fund is now under the direction and management of the MFEF Board of Directors.
But the little she had actually wasn’t so little after her estate attorney discovered Perry had inherited mineral interests in West Texas, which gave her memorial fund a big boost. Perry, who was 86 at the time of her death, left a lasting legacy for Marble Falls graduates.
“She had a heart for kids, especially for kids she saw potential in that she thought might not have the means for continuing education,” Brown said. “She wanted everyone to have a chance. That’s why she did this.”
The Lemmah Perry Scholarship Fund awards scholarships based on students’ financial need and acceptance to a university, college, or technical school. Today, the fund is valued at approximately $1 million
The Marble Falls Education Foundation scholarship application process allows graduating seniors to apply for multiple scholarships with one application.
A donor can also establish a fund or provide a pass-through scholarship each year. By keeping these legacy- and organization-based scholarships in one place, it simplifies what can be a complicated process and allows for more community involvement and collaboration.
The purpose of the foundation is to connect the goodness of people with the needs of students and those who serve them.
“It’s important for us to find new ways to support our teachers, students, and staff on a daily basis,” said Pam Parkman, the foundation’s executive director. “The (Marble Falls Education Foundation) scholarship program is a key ingredient to overall success.”
Call (830) 798-3580 or visit the foundation’s website for more information.