H. Hortense Ward

1929 - 2020

(News story) H. Hortense Ward, a longtime Garfield Elementary School teacher and devout Baptist who volunteered for her church and community, died Tuesday at her daughter's home in Cleveland. She was 91.

She died after a long bout with vascular dementia, her daughter, Brenda Frazier, said.

Mrs. Ward retired in 1996 after at least 20 years of teaching, mostly second grade at Garfield Elementary.

While working as a teacher, she also helped review elementary school textbooks before they saw print.

"She loved teaching because she thought that education was the path to creating not just something for yourself as an individual but also to contributing to a better world for the society," her daughter said.

"She was pretty much a disciplinarian. She also encouraged her students to be creative and to think about what role they want to play in the world, and to always love their family," she said, adding that Mrs. Ward was proud that both her daughter and granddaughter got advanced degrees.

Mrs.Ward was born March 28, 1929 in Rossford to Susie Lewis and Grover Ousley. Soon after she was born, the family moved to Toledo.

In 1946, she graduated from Libbey High School and went to a beauty school in Cleveland, graduating in a year as a licensed cosmetologist.

She then returned to Toledo and worked as a cosmetologist for a year before she married Dorsey Ward in 1949 and became a mother. He died in 2001.

Once her daughter reached school age, Mrs.Ward went back to work.

For several years, she was a keypunch operator at Erie Ordnance Depot, Rossford Ordnance Depot, and at what then was Ohio Citizens Bank.

While at Ohio Citizens, Mrs. Ward hired on as an assistant teacher with a Head Start program in Toledo and enjoyed teaching so much that – encouraged by her mother – she decided to go to college to pursue a teaching career, her daughter said.

She then went to the University of Toledo, graduating with a bachelor's in education, master's of education in training, and education specialist degrees in 1975, 1976, and 1979 respectively.

Once she got her bachelor's degree, she hired on at Garfield Elementary.

Mrs. Ward was a longtime member of the United Missionary Baptist Church, Toledo, where she volunteered as an Elementary Sunday School teacher and a member of the church's board of education.

She was also a member of Antioch Baptist Church, Cleveland, where she volunteered for educational fundraisers. She also participated in cultural, arts and craft, and social activities at the Eliza Bryant Manor, also in Cleveland, where she moved in 2013 to be close to her daughter.

Her other memberships included the former Just Among Us Girls civic activity group, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Red Hat Society, and the former Sew n' Sews, Charms, Inc., all in Toledo.

Along with her husband, she was preceded in death by five siblings.

Surviving are her daughter, Brenda Frazier, and a granddaughter.

A memorial service will be held Thursday at United Missionary Baptist Church, 2705 Monroe St., Toledo, following a wake set for 10 to 11 a.m. Attendees are required to wear face masks and practice social distancing.

Arrangements are by Dale-Riggs Funeral Home.

The family suggests tributes to the United Missionary Baptist Church Board of Christian Education.

This is a news story by Mike Sigov. Contact him at sigov@theblade.com or 419-724-6089.