[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 146 (Thursday, November 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MARILYN R. FELTON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2012

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
Librarian, Marilyn Rankin Felton, who was born on July 30, 1962 in 
Natchez, Mississippi to Mr. Judge Rankin and Mrs. Annie James Rankin of 
Fayette, Mississippi. Her father worked as a farmer planting and 
growing the food that would feed the family, while her mother was an 
active part of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, faithfully 
fighting to secure the civil rights so that her children and others 
would have the right to a prosperous life. As a child being reared by a 
father who spent most of his life as a sharecropper and a mother who 
believed in fighting for the rights of others, she knew that hard work 
and dedication would play a significant role in her life.
  She graduated from Jefferson County High School in 1980, after which 
she attended Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Natchez, Mississippi 
for a short time. She set aside obtaining a college degree to work at a 
Wire Harness Plant in Fayette, Mississippi. She married Lee Felton in 
March 1984 and at the age of twenty-one, she realized the importance of 
the family. In doing so, she was blessed with three children to instill 
those same values in.
  For the next six years, she would work at the Wire Harness, where she 
endured long hours of standing on concrete floors while working in a 
humid building that was sizzling hot during summer months and frigid 
cold during winter months. The Wire Harness Plant closed its door in 
1990 and she used the fact that she was unemployed as an opportunity to 
continue her education.
  Nevertheless, continuing her education was gradual because she worked 
at local stores as a cashier for the next few years; however, that did 
not fulfill her dream. In 1996 she returned to Copiah-Lincoln Community 
College to obtain a degree in Business Technology. In September 1997 
her professional life provided her with an avenue to fulfill her dream 
of helping others when she was hired as a substitute Librarian with the 
Copiah-Jefferson Regional Library System (Fayette Branch). In September 
1998, she was hired as the Branch Manager/Librarian.
  In 1998, her mother, Mrs. Annie V. Rankin suddenly passed away and 
Marilyn knew she had to find a way to keep her mother's beliefs known, 
which she did by helping others. She successfully founded the Jefferson 
County Library Christmas Toy Drive in 2001 for underprivileged children 
of Jefferson Co. and surrounding areas. For ten years, the annual toy 
drive has been instrumental in providing an average of 200 children per 
year with toys for Christmas.
  Her career as a Librarian has provided her an opportunity to visit 
libraries in the state of Mississippi, New Orleans, Louisiana, 
Lacrosse, Wisconsin and Rome, Italy. As a librarian, she has worked 
effortlessly to provide programs for children and adults at the 
Jefferson County Library as well as expose the patrons to various 
authors from Mississippi, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
  Marilyn cherishes the belief that learning is an ongoing process 
because she is presently a sophomore at Walden University, majoring in 
Child Development as she has maintained a 4.0 GPA since enrollment.
  Nevertheless, the success of her life and career is to freely give of 
your wisdom and knowledge to those who need it and desire it.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing a 
librarian, Marilyn Rankin Felton, for her dedication to serving others.

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