Jessie Mae Bradley Monroe

A life-long educator, Mrs. Monroe saw potential and poured hope in every child she taught. Born during a time when Black children in rural areas of the south had little to no opportunity to get an education she began her career as an educator in small school in Provencal, Louisiana. The year was 1946 and in addition to being the principal of the school she was also one of two teachers, cook, and janitor.

Born March 31, 1927, Jessie Mae Bradley Monroe was the fourth child born to Brimmer and Pearlie Bradley in Chestnut Louisiana. As an inquisitive and intuitive child, she became a Christ-follower at an early age and made public commitment to Christianity at St. John Baptist Church in Chestnut Louisiana.

She attended elementary school in Chestnut Louisiana where she and her younger siblings were faced with racist attacks as they walked miles to and from school. Rather than retaliate and to ensure his children's safety, her father found a safer and shorter path for them to travel through the woods. To complete high school, Jessie moved to Natchitoches Louisiana where she graduated from Natchitoches Parish Training School (Central High School). She was a boarder in Natchitoches where she roomed with her close friend, T. Ella. T. Ella and Jessie would later become co- teachers at Provencal school and Sunday School at a Hardshell Baptist Church in Provencal.

As a teenager Jessie was an avid basketball player and was offered a scholarship to play basketball at Southern University. She did not accept the scholarship and attended an extension of Southern University in Natchitoches. It was after her first summer at Southern University she was given an opportunity to teach in Provencal. She would later teach in her hometown of Chestnut before completing her undergraduate degree at Grambling College in 1954.

In 1944, Jessie met a young man from Ringgold, Louisiana . She heard he had just returned home from St. Louis, Missouri. Three years later, this young man, became her husband. On August 27, 1947, 75 years ago to this date, Jessie Mae Bradley married Esther Monroe.

The couple first lived in Chestnut Louisiana for a brief time in a home fondly remembered as "The Little Red House." In 1953 they moved to 1718 Poland St in Shreveport , La. with their four children in tow: Barbara Jo, Gerald Glen, Brenda Sue, and the baby Marvin Lane. In 1957 they moved to the community of Greenwood Acres where the last of their five children was born, Monica Gail in 1959.

After moving to Greenwood Acres Mr. and Mrs. Monroe met Emma Pearl Tisby-Brown, a teacher at Greenmoor Elementary School, currently J. P. Timmons. During that meeting Mrs. Tisby-Brown expressed a need for a community church in Greenwood Acres. Soon after that meeting, community church was started in 1957 as Mt. Sinai Institutional Baptist Church under the leadership of Mrs. Tisby-Brown's husband, Elder Willie Earl Brown.

Sunday School, the first stage of the church, was held at a building located on the property of kind elderly Mr. Broussard located on Morrison Drive, across the street from the Monroes, in Greenwood Acres. Although, never becoming a member of the church, Mr. Broussard was delighted to offer his building for this new church. After the untimely death of Minister Brown, in 1958, Pastor M.M. Flynn became pastor and soon after the church was incorporated as Greenwood Acres Missionary Baptist Church.

Mrs. Monroe was a dedicated member of Greenwood Acres Missionary Baptist Church where she served as church clerk, primary Sunday school teacher with Mrs. Estelle Osborn, Vacation Bible School Director with Mrs. Beatrice Flynn, and youth director where she was effective in seeing many of the teenagers in the community attend Baptist Youth Encampment held at Grambling College.

In 1982 Minister Fred Caldwell became the third pastor of the church. Greenwood Acres Missionary Baptist Church became known as Greenwood Acres Full Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Bishop Fred Caldwell.

Mrs. Monroe touched many lives as an educator during the days of segregation. In addition to Provencal and Chestnut she also taught in Rodessa and Shreveport, Louisiana. She was among the first certified kindergarten teachers in Caddo Parish.

In 1980, Mrs. Monroe retired ,as a public-school teacher, from 81st Street Elementary Grade School where she lovingly recalled it being the best grade school in Shreveport at the time. At only 53, Mrs. Monroe retired after three years of working in the integrated Caddo Parish School district, which at the time was aggressively and negatively changing the dynamics of education for Black schools and Black students.

During the early days of her retirement, Mrs. Monroe remained active. She stayed in contact with her co-workers from 81st Street Elementary School in a group they formed "Just A Few Friends". They met every month to fellowship and share a meal. The group devolved after transition of most of the members. She continued to touch the lives of young people by serving as a mentor at a local parochial school where her daughter, Barbara was an instructor at the time. She also continued her education by earning her master's degree in Biblical Studies at Greenwood Acres Christian College and School of Ministry.

Mrs. Monroe was a dedicated mother and wife and 'oh so proud' of her children. She would often say, "I saw each one of them graduate from college and each one of the get married." She leaves to mourn and celebrate her death, her husband of 75 years, Esther (Pete) Monroe, four children; Gerald ( Evelyn) Monroe, Brenda Sue Monroe-Moten, Marvin (Mary) Monroe, and Monica (Otis) Houston; eleven grandchildren; Marcus (Tina) Monroe, Burl Thomas, Jr, Angela Russell, Carmen (Kevin) Salone, Jeffrey (Stephanie) Monroe, Kimberlee (Roger) Pinkney, Ashlee (Eric) Gilbert, Spencer Monroe, Joshua (Cassidy) Moten, Erin (Garret) Jensen, and Jeremy Monroe; 19 great-grands; two sisters; Dora Tolliver and Lola Payne, two brothers Hosea Bradley and Ashford Bradley, a host of nieces nephews other relatives and friends. Preceding her in death were her parents, one daughter Barbara Jo Thomas, and 10 siblings.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to The American Stroke Association and/or The National Black Child Development Institute.