Born in Pulaski, a small Southern Illinois town,
Maudie had six brothers and sisters. Her father
worked for the Illinois Central Railroad. Her
mother was a homemaker, seamstress and gardener.
Maudie attended elementary school in Pulaski. She
took a bus to Mounds for four years of high school
and spent summers working in St. Louis, MO,
earning money to buy the things needed for high
school. Because her parents felt they would be
unable to send her to college, Maudie promised if
they would help her get into college, she would do
the rest. She worked and sang in the Rolland
Hayes Choir to pay her tuition.
Maudie attended southern Illinois University at Carbondale two
years and received a two year teacher's certificate. She continued
with summer and night classes to complete her bachelor's and master's
degrees. She enjoyed going to college and although she had almost
earned enough hours for a PhD, her desire to teach took her to
the classroom. Her first teaching assignment was in a one room
schoolhouse at Olmstead. The next assignment was to teach first
and second grade in Mound City and eight years later in Ullin.
In 1959, Maudie came to Champaign as a first grade teacher. She
retired from the Champaign schools system in 1984 but continued
to share her love for education as a volunteer.
Maudie was not only dedicated to teaching and helping young children
but to learning as well. She traveled to Hawaii, Alaska, Australia,
Singapore, China, Japan, Africa and every state in the United
States. She had a great love for the fine arts. After church (Christian
Methodist Episcopal), Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
was a favorite place for Maudie.
Maudie Flake Edwards
)
denotes original charter members of the Champaign County Section
of the National Council of Negro Women.