Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
Texas educator Lucia Rede Madrid earned honors
Texas educator Lucia Rede Madrid was honored by two American presidents and inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame for her volunteer work as a local librarian. Photo Credit: Texas Women’s Hall of Fame
There are many fine educators who have contributed to the development of America’s border-town communities. One of these was Lucia Rede Madrid, a dedicated teacher from the border town of Redford, Texas.
Lucia Rede was born in Polvo, Texas, on January 8, 1913. She was the sixth of eight children born to Eusébio Rede and Antonia Luján, who had settled in the area in 1870. When Lucia was only 12 years old, her family relocated to the tiny community of Marfa, West Texas.
Lucia was born to be a teacher. As a young girl, she helped to educate her brothers and sisters. In fact, seven of the eight Rede children became teachers. Lucia earned both her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Education, both from Sul Ross State University. Sul Ross is a public institution of higher learning located in Alpine, in the Big Bend region of the far western part of Texas. After earning her degrees, Lucia taught at public schools in Marfa and Redford for 23 years.
After her retirement from the classroom in 1976, the dedicated educator established a private lending library in the isolated border town of Redford in 1979. She started the library with just 25 books. By 1992, the collection included over 15,000 volumes. The institution gained national attention and still functions today as a library and museum. Current library holdings include Lucia’s personal Library Hall of Fame, a collection of portraits of individuals who were children in Redford that have gone on to successful careers as engineers, doctors, teachers, and accountants.
For her work as a pioneer educator and librarian, this Chalkboard Champion has garnered many accolades. She was once featured on the NBC Today Show, and a story about her was published in National Geographic in February, 1984. The story was entitled “West of Pecos.” In addition, Lucia was honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Award by President George W. Bush in 1990, and the Ronald Reagan Award for Volunteer Excellence. In 1989, Lucia was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame.
Lucia passed away at the age of 90, but her work has not been forgotten!
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Teachers, here’s some advice you can give your students…
Idaho teacher Anna Attebury garners coveted Milken Educator Award
Idaho elementary school teacher Anna Attebury has garnered a coveted 2022-2023 Milken Educator Award. Photo Credit: Milken Foundation
I also enjoy sharing the story of an exceptional teacher who has earned recognition for their work with young people. One of these is Anna Attebury, an elementary school teacher from Idaho who has garnered a coveted 2022-2023 Milken Educator Award.
Anna Attebury teaches first graders at White Pine Charter School in Amman, Idaho. The honored teacher ensures her instructional time is engaging and challenging, balancing setting clear expectations with encouraging students to explore concepts and find their own way to solutions. Her approach achieves remarkable results. During the 2021-22 school year, her first graders averaged 127% growth in reading and 111% growth in math.
Well-versed in STEM, this honored teacher leads lessons in human anatomy by building models of different body systems—including the respiratory, circulatory, muscular, and skeletal systems—in layers on life-sized, human-shaped cutouts. In addition to the STEM lessons in her classroom curriculum, Anna also leads an after-school STEM club for students in grades one through five. The club explores coding, works with drones, and uses 3D printers. In fact, in 2020, her STEM club students submitted a drone video to Idaho’s National Laboratory Earth Day competition.
Anna makes significant contributions to her school. She serves as the coordinator for her school’s Core Knowledge curriculum, and she organizes a school wide showcase to share grade level projects, displays, and performances. During the pandemic, she created an online version of the showcase so the entire school community could participate from home. Anna also leads professional development, and she leads White Pine Elementary’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team. She is a member of the leadership team created by the director of schools, and she mentors new teachers.
Anna earned her Bachelor’s degree in English in 2004, and a second Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 2012, both from Brigham Young University, Idaho.
The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to a $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 3,000 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who work towards strengthening best practices in education. To learn more about the program, click on Milken Educator Awards.
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AAGPBL player Mamie Redman taught math and PE, and coached sports
Magdalen Redman, who played for the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, taught mathematics and physical education and coached a variety of sports after retiring from the League. Photo Credit: All American Girls Professional Baseball League
Many times excellent physical education educators were established athletes in their own right. One of these was Magdalen “Mamie” Redman, a math and PE teacher and coach who also played in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) during World War II.
Mamie was born on July 2, 1980, in Waupin, Wisconsin. When she was young, girls were not allowed to participate in Little League Baseball, so Mamie was confined to playing sandlot ball with her neighborhood friends. By the time she was 17, though, she was able to join an organized softball team in Oconomowoc, about 17 miles away from her home town. It was while she was playing there that her talent was spotted by an AAGPBL scout.
After signing with the AAGPBL, Mamie travelled to Opa-locka, Florida, for spring training in 1948, and then she was assigned to the Kenosha Comets. At 5’5″, 150 lbs., Mamie served as the team’s catcher and third baseman. She played for the Comets from 1948 to 1950, and then transferred to the Grand Rapids Chicks, where she played from 1950 to 1954. While playing there, she helped her team win the Championship Series in 1953. In all, Mamie played seven years in the AAGBL. Once the League was disbanded in 1955, Mamie was recruited to play for a national touring team known as the All American All Stars, a team comprised of women players who toured the country competing against male teams.
After she retired from baseball, Mamie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, with minors in Physical Education and Biology, from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. For the next 37 years, she taught mathematics and physical education and coached a variety of high school sports at Valdez, Mukwonago, and Oconomowoc High Schools.
To commemorate her impressive career as an athlete, Mamie’s story became part of the Women in Baseball exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. She was also inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame, the Wall of Honor at Miller Park in Milwaukee, and the Waupun High School Hall of Fame. In addition, the 1992 film A League of Their Own shared the story of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League to generations of baseball fans.
In her final years, Mamie Redman lived in Oconomowoc. She passed away on Aug. 22, 2020, at the age of 90.
