Longtime music teacher Annie Alexander dies at 100
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AlexanderThe Yazoo Herald
Longtime music teacher Annie Alexander died Thursday at age 100.
Alexander taught music and led the Glee Club in Benton schools for over two decades. She continued to give private piano lessons after retiring in 1988.
“She instilled a love of music in every child she taught,” said Helen Moore, in a previous interview. “She really encouraged so many young people to enjoy and love music.”
Alexander was born on Feb. 17, 1911 in Vaughan. She was married to L.C. “Joe” Alexander for 66 years, and they had three children together.
Miss Naomi Waldrup was Mrs. Annie’s first music teacher. While attending Campbell School, she would walk home after school with Miss Waldrup for her lessons. Afterwards, she made her way home through pastures.
Alexander’s first lessons were on a pump organ, and she could play a few hymns before she ever started her music lessons.
It didn’t take long for the community to see that Alexander had a gift for music. A literary, musical and athletic competition was held at Benton Agricultural School, and she won first place in the music contest. After winning first place in the local contest, she received her first piano from her father.
Aside from school functions, Alexander found a perfect place for her musical abilities inside various churches. She often divided her pump organ performances among three churches within a month.
Alexander started teaching piano lessons as a teenager. Moore’s daughter was one of her many students.
“My daughter would sit at the piano and cry sometimes,” Moore said. “But Annie really encouraged to try. She knew she had to practice for the spring recital.”
Bill Alexander, Alexander’s youngest son, recalled that family and music were two of the most important things in her life.
“She taught music for as long as I can remember,” he said. “She primarily taught elementary students music lessons. Some of those students insisted on remaining her pupil up to high school.”
Funeral services were Sunday at Ellison United Methodist Church with Rev. David Schultz and Rev. George Butler officiating.
Dear Editor,
I realize after this letter is published that my daughter will probably never have the opportunity of making the Dixie League All-Star team.
However after praying and pondering over this situation, and because she has never made the team in all of her five years of playing (which is a joke) I have nothing to lose.
I am normally a pretty passive person, but I guess the older I get the more I see and understand the cruel shenanigans that many of our kids are faced with. But mostly, the older I get the more I have learned to become more vocal in the things I feel are just not right.
The Dixie Youth Girls Team is one that I have held close to my heart because the one child that I have has been a part of this league since she was old enough to participate. Now at first I did not make a big issue out of the All Star Selection process because each year I was given a so-called excuse as to why my child did not make it.
Her first year and at age four, she was just this cute little girl scrambling around like the others with no clue as to what to do. As she got older and more serious, I realized that this is really becoming her passion and not tooting my own horn but she’s pretty darn good.
Now again I know that she may never make the team after the comment I am about to make, but who cares.
This league is one of the most biased leagues I have ever, ever encountered. Parents, many of our kids are being overlooked because the selection process is too political and a big joke. I do not think that I could sleep at night knowing that I (the coaches) put my child in a position that I know they do not deserve.
For years and in talking to other parents, coaches have been allowed to nominate their child(ren) and other coaches’ children, which is so unfair. Now I know that I am not the smartest person in the world, but I do know what ALL-STAR means. But for those of you who do not, it means “consisting of athletes chosen as the best at their positions from all ... consisting entirely of star performers.” To break it down further; the BEST players!!!
We as parents need to be more involved in ensuring that there are policies and procedures in place and that they are adhered to. We want the best children to represent our city not those children that you want to be recognized to feed your own egos.
Coaches should not be allowed to nominate their children or make deals behind closed doors. ALL-STAR selections should be based on statistics and privy to those children who have worked hard and diligently all summer. Some of you coaches should be ashamed of yourselves with your hidden agendas. I personally do not see how you sleep at night.
Zelda B. Baker
Concerned Parent
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