Frances M. Owens Celebrates 99th Birthday

Ms. Frances M. Owens was born March 9, 1913 in Asheville, NC.

By Charles W. Young

Ms. Frances M. Owens, born March 9, 1913 in Asheville, NC, recently celebrated her 99th birthday with a party in her honor at the Holmes Family Care Home, where she resides.

The third child of John H. and Minnie M. Owens was graduated from
Allen High School in 1930 and received her B.A. in History from Shaw
University. She began her teaching career in Grassy Creek, NC, in a
one-room school that housed 10 students. She went on to receive one
Masters degree in 1951 and a Master of Library Science two years later.
Her 41-year teaching career carried her to various parts of North
Carolina.

Locally Ms. Owens taught at Shiloh School where she
served as both principal and librarian. She later transferred to
Asheville City Schools and taught at Livingston Street School until it
closed in 1970. Thereafter she taught at Vance Elementary School, from
which she retired in 1978.

After retirement Ms. Owens continued to
be active in the community and in her home church, Mount Zion
Missionary Baptist, and, as her health would allow, as an active member
of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and a supporter of Mission and St.
Joseph’s Hospitals.

With pride in her parentage – Owens Bell Park
off of Clingman Ave. is named for her father – Ms. Frances Owens is the
proud mother of Wilhelmena (Mrs. Wesley Grant, Jr.), and the
grandmother of three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. And,
as befits a woman with almost a century of memories, she still has
favorite colors (pink and green), a favorite food (fried chicken), and a
favorite dessert – Ben and Jerry’s strawberry cheesecake ice cream.