At one point we needed to combine
two kindergarten classes with her as the lead teacher, and it was as if she had
taught them together since the beginning of the school year.
The parents of the
Pre-Kindergarten children heard about how wonderful Mrs. Darby was and could
not wait for their children to receive the same blessing that so many others
had already received. No one seemed to be concerned that this wonderful
kindergarten teacher was still teaching in her early 80s!
As excellent as Mrs. Darby was
and as deep as her faith was, she was also a person of great humility. As the
principal of the school when Mrs. Darby first began to teach for us, I vividly
remember a conversation with her about some of the challenges we were facing.
She commented, “Pastor Meyerend, God is still working on me, too!”
During her tenure at Christian
Heritage Academy, her daughter Rosalind Darby volunteered as her assistant. So
the school received a double blessing! Mother Darby was also ably assisted by
Mrs. Marlenas Fraser and Mrs. Araselis Fraser. All those who worked with her
saw firsthand her love for the children and her passion to see them well
educated, fulfilling the school’s mission to prepare them to be “productive
citizens of the twenty-first century.”
Mother Darby believed
wholeheartedly in the promise that God gave to Bishop Albert C. Delmadge, Jr.
for all the children of our school: “All your children shall by taught by the
Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children” (Isaiah 54:13). Some of
the children she taught are now in high school and others are young adults.
They all share memories of someone who loved them with unconditional love,
taught them with unreserved confidence in who they could become, and gave all
the glory to God.