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Demetra Perkins was not an ordinary human being, she was so much more. She was a true gem to the McKenzie community; to know Demetra was to love Demetra. At first glance no one would think she was a warrior, but she was as true soldier in life. Looking at her life, she was the epitome of a warrior; in determination, in spirit, in love and in Christ.
Stricken with polio at a very early age, young Demetra was paralyzed from the neck down. One of the first cases in Gibson County, she was transported to Memphis and was quarantined. Forced to stay a full year in the Memphis Hospital, little Demetra was given news that she would never live a normal life. But her sheer determination proved the medical community wrong.
Demetra noted her illness as a, “dark moment that I realized I could not face life alone. I knew that God would have to walk with me ever step, guide me, assure me, and give me the strength to face life unafraid.”
She placed her faith in the Lord and made Philippians 4:13 (KJV) “I can do all things through Christ who strengthenth me” her personal mantra. The determined little warrior left the hospital with the ability to walk but a paralyzed left arm, Betsy, was her battle wound against polio.
As life presented its challenges to Demetra, she never accepted her paralysis as an excuse for failure. She faced the challenges head-on and battled her way to success.
“With the undergirding faith God provided, I then faced life as it presented itself. I eventually played basketball, tennis and golf, and led an active life.”
At the age of twelve, Demetra’s love for Bethel University bloomed. Her older brother, Harold Scott, served as the starting center for the Wildcat basketball team for four years. When it came time for her to select her college of choice, she chose Bethel.
During her time at Bethel, the young lady flourished on campus where she served as the secretary of the student council and was elected “Miss Bethel.” It was on campus where she met her future husband, Ed Perkins, who was student body president. After graduation, the couple married and made their home in McKenzie for the next 58 years.
Demetra took on the role of classroom teacher for over 30 years. She started teaching reading and coached basketball at Cannon Elementary School in Huntingdon for three years. In 1963, she began her tenure at McKenzie Elementary. It is at McKenzie where Demetra made her lasting mark on so many children.
Now known as Mrs. Perkins to McKenzie, Demetra once again proved she was not run-of-the-mill. The new teacher became a fixture in the life of her students. Prior to the beginning of the school year, she made home visits to each of her students. She wanted to make the connection early with the student and learn about his or her home life.
Demetra knew that teaching was an art and a science. She understood a master teacher does not use a one-size-fits-all approach. By going into the homes, she learned of the students’ needs and she could adapt the material in a meaningful manner; this enabled every student to achieve success. Demetra took the time to help the student grow. She showed encouragement and never had discipline problems in her classroom.
Teachable moments were also important to Mrs. Perkins, especially when it came to Betsy.
“During my 34 years of teaching elementary school, one thing that never changed was the introduction each year of a very important member of the class, Betsy. Betsy was there to teach every child about diversity, that one can still function well despite obvious differences.”
“Betsy, I told them, was my polio souvenir. I explained the history of Betsy as a way to refer to my paralyzed left arm which became an educational tool to show the class that I didn’t always do everything just the way they did, but I still did it. I challenged the class to understand they could accomplish so much more than they thought they could if only they would expand their horizons.”
Mona Martin Batchelor provided an anecdote that truly tells the story of Mrs. Perkins:
I knew early on that McKenzie Elementary School would have a new teacher in the third grade for the coming year and that I had hit the lottery. Mother received a phone call and I was to be in her class! The funny story was that she had to ask around to find out who M A R T I N, R A Y M O N was. No one knew of a little Martin boy named Raymond. Miss Perkins finally discovered that, my parents wishing for a boy, had named me Raymona, rather than Ramona. Mystery solved.
From that moment on, for the rest of the summer, I put my ear to the ground. I planned to learn everything I could about my new teacher. By listening carefully as the adults talked (that’s how we gathered information in those days), I managed to learn that her husband was a man I heard on the radio sometimes. I also learned that she was tall, beautiful, and fashionable. Finally, I learned that I would ‘learn’ about Betsy when school began.