CELEBRATINGWomen

Juneteenth Commendation

“Keeping History Alive “

JoAnn Wurmlinger grew up in Massachusetts and always had a love of history and historical items. As a youngster she would spend hours in the “Indian” cemetery in Lancaster, Mass. and the library’s history section. She began her career with St. Mary’s County Public Schools at the Felix Johnson Educational Center. During a clean out she rescued the school registers of African American teachers who taught in one and two room African American Schoolhouses, prior to the consolidation of segregated schools in St. Mary’s County. These items were being taken to the dumpster. Seeing that they dated back over a hundred years, she knew they had to be saved. She also saved the last copy of the official enrollments before segregation ended in this county. Years later her career moved her to the Mary McLeod Bethune Educational Center where she found more African American schools’ fiscal records from the 1800s. Ms. Wurmlinger worked with the Unified Committee for Afro- American Contributions and St. Mary’s County Public Schools to have these primary sources donated to the St. Mary’s County Historical Society for preservation and research.

Carol Moody has contributed her talent and expertise as an archivist and librarian widely and tirelessly across the county for decades. Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions has benefitted from her assistance in archiving records, with research for the book In Relentless Pursuit of an Education: African American Stories from a Century of Segregation, and, most recently, with new research for the interpretation of Drayden School House. She has served the whole community through her extensive work on the St. Mary’s County Historic Preservation Committee, Historic St. Mary’s City, and the County Historical Society. She is a quiet but powerful force in uncovering and sharing important local history.

Alma Jordon has served since the 1990s as a member and director of Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions and is currently Chair of the History and Research Committee. She was a co-editor of In Relentless Pursuit of an Education: African American Stories from a Century of Segregation, and has contributed to the creation of many other UCAC publications and interpretive projects. She has participated with Lott Enterprises and her own Thompson Family in community betterment projects including the awarding of scholarships. Alma is a retired nurse and volunteers as a teacher in county health and wellness programs for elders, and she has recently become a hospice volunteer.

Mia Bowers moved to St. Mary's County over a decade ago with her husband and children and has dedicated her time to supporting the community and the children here in the County. She has served the PTA in many roles from president to being an active member at all three of her children's schools. As a Kiwanian, Mia was part of the Board and Advisor for the Service Leadership Programs at Spring Ridge Middle and Lexington Park Elementary Schools; as well as being a FLOW mentor. Mia is first vice-president of the NAACP and chair of the Youth Works committee. She provides activities for the children at NAACP events. In 2015, she established the Non-Profit, Bright Futures Enlightenment Center, and provides educational and parent involvement programs to our community. Mia serves as chair of the Steering Committee for a Community/Youth Center in Lexington Park and is leading this effort. She is dedicated to seeing a community center in St. Mary's County for all to enjoy.