Individual Details

Voted Woman Of The Year (Editors note:) the following article is about Mrs. Era May Furr, a former citizen of Forsyth County now living in Dade County, Fla. Mrs. Furr won the “Outstanding Citizen of the year award. Mrs. Furr has spent 32 years as a Dade County Teacher and Principal, and we folks here are very proud of her and are sure that she deserves this fine award and we want to send her our congratulations. Mrs. Era Mae Furr almost didn’t go to the Outstanding Citizen of the Year award breakfast which was held recently on Friday. She was afraid it would make her miss another meeting people were counting on her to attend, and she felt she couldn’t let them down. That’s typical of Mrs. Furr, the 1960 “Outstanding Woman.” who’s spent her life working for other people without regard for personal glory. She was persuaded to go to the breakfast at the McAllister Hotel only after she was assured it would end in time, and that all the rest of the nominees for the honor were attending. The award is given annually by Sholem Lodge of B’nai B’rith. “I’m so surprised, so delighted and amazed — just a little teacher like me winning this great honor,” she said afterward, her usual matter-of-fact calm deserting her. The judges didn’t think she was “just a little teacher. They looked at her record of 32 years as a Dade County teacher and principal, when her work for children and good citizenship went far beyond the call of duty. They studied her record of community service, and noted that even though she is theoretically retired, she is still working for others. She is now concerned with the plight of retired teachers. As president of the Retired Teachers Club, she is leading a fight for improved pensions for teachers. “Why do you know, right here Dade County there are 65 retired teachers who are living on less than $100 a month?” she asked indignantly. MRS FURR RETIRED IN 1957 as principal of Miami Springs Elementary school which she had served since she was instrumental in having it started in 1937. Before that, she taught at Allapattah Elementary School. She started Junior American Citizenship Clubs in her school, and later helped other schools in the county to get the clubs started. She still is an unofficial advisor for the program. Six times, her school won national awards from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge, and she was the second individual to receive the Foundation’s achievements award for outstanding service. J. Edgar Hoover, director, of the FBI, was the first. Frequently Mrs. Furr, who always has been outspoken in causes for her, worked so quietly in her personal philanthropy that few people knew about it. Many children were able to continue school because she saw to it they had clothing, food and medical care they lacked. Just before she hurried off Friday, still a little awed by the honor, Mrs. Furr said, “I’m busier than I ever was before I retired.” and rattled off her activities in a voice that retains a bit of a Georgia accent: President of the Retired Teachers Club; President of her Sunday School class at Central Baptist Church; Vice-President of Delta Kappa Gamma (a teachers’ sorority; program chairman of the Hiaeah Miami Springs Soroptimists, program chairman of the Globetrotters Club, member of the Miami Woman's Club. In between meetings, Mrs. Furr Who lives with her daughter, Mrs. W. Carlton Rentz at 1631 Tiger -- tail makes hats. In fact she made the parky black straw with big red roses she wore with a simple black dress when she received her reward.
The Forsyth County News, Cumming, Georgia, November 16, 1961

Birth	11 Sep 1889	Georgia
Occupation	1940	school teacher - Miami-Dade County, FL
Occupation	1950	school supervisor - Miami, Dade County, FL
Death	8 Jun 1979	Dade County, FL
Marriage		Henry McWhorter FURR
Alt name		Eva May FOWLER
Soc Sec No		267-50-3227
Burial		Woodlawn Park North Cemetery and Mausoleum, Miami, Miami-Dade County, FL

Spouse	Henry McWhorter FURR (1891 - 1952)
Child	Bobbye Sarahlene FURR (1912 - 1997)

Father	Alonzo James FOWLER (1864 - 1934)
Mother	Mittie Lena BLACKSTOCK (1867 - 1942)

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