[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19553]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              IN REMEMBRANCE OF MAGGIE LOUISE KNIGHT KNOX

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 3, 2015

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart and 
solemn remembrance that I rise today to pay tribute to a terrific 
educator and beloved mother, grandmother and cousin, Mrs. Maggie Louise 
Knight Knox of Martin County, North Carolina. Sadly, Mrs. Knox passed 
away on Saturday, November 28, 2015. A Homegoing Celebration will be 
held on Friday, December 4, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the Michigan Park 
Christian Church in Washington, D.C.
  Born on February 3, 1928 to the late Annie Slade Knight and Eddie 
Knight, Maggie Louise Knight Knox, known as Louise or Lou to family and 
friends, grew up on the family farm in Martin County, North Carolina. 
She developed a passion for education early on and immediately upon 
graduation from Winston Salem State University, she began her teaching 
career within the Charles County Public School System.
  Her abiding commitment to education was reflected in her personal 
academic achievements, as she pursued a higher level of education with 
her enrollment at the D.C. Teachers' College. She participated in the 
Teachers' Program at Columbia University, culminating in her receipt of 
a Master's Degree in Education at Trinity College. Ultimately, Maggie 
Louise accepted a tenured position as a third grade teacher at J.C. 
Nalle Elementary School in Southeast Washington, D.C.
  After nurturing and educating three generations of students, Maggie 
Louise retired with more than thirty years of service as an educator. 
She was considered to be one of the most respected Reading Specialists 
in District of Columbia Public Schools. Even after her retirement and 
to this day, she is fondly remembered by many of her students.
  Her passion for education mirrored her everlasting faith as a woman 
of God. Accepting Christ as her Savior at an early age, Maggie Louise 
began her Christian life in Martin County, North Carolina and continued 
her Christian journey in Washington, D.C. where she became an active 
member in Michigan Park Christian Church in 1960. She brought her God-
given teaching talents into the church, teaching Vacation Bible School 
and Sunday school. She was a chairperson of the Diaconate and a member 
of the Christian Women's Fellowship. As is the church's tradition, in 
her eightieth year of life, Maggie Louise Knight Knox was humbly 
inducted into the Diamond Club.
  To Maggie Louise, family was everything. It was on May 5, 1950, in 
Washington, D.C., that Maggie Louise married her loving husband, Mr. 
Reese Conway Knox. Devoted and committed to each other, the union of 
Maggie Louise and Reese produced three beautiful daughters: Regina 
Louise, Denise Yvette and Edna Teresa.
  On a more personal note, Maggie Louise and I are born of the same 
lineage--the Slades of North Carolina. The union of Simon and Anna 
Slade produced thirteen children. Of those children, Walter Columbus 
Slade (grandfather of Maggie Louise) and Robert Slade (my grandfather), 
were born. Maggie retained many valuable lessons from her youth, but 
the most important one came from her grandfather, Walter Columbus 
Slade: ``Always stick together.'' Maggie fervently adopted this as a 
guiding force throughout her life and passed that same value to her 
daughters and grandchildren. The concept of ``staying together'' is 
extremely important in our family. We annually gather for reunions 
throughout the nation and remain close with one another throughout our 
lives.
  George Washington Carver once said, ``How far you go in life depends 
on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, 
sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong 
because someday in your life you will have been all of these.'' Maggie 
Louise was a gentle and loving woman who treated all people with 
respect. She loved her God. Her wisdom and kindness goes unmatched, and 
her gentle soul served humanity in a special way. Each day she graced 
the people around her with an enthusiastic sincerity of presence. The 
impression she leaves on earth extends beyond herself to those whom she 
inspired and supported, and for it she will be remembered for time to 
come.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to 
join me and my wife, Vivian, in paying tribute to Mrs. Maggie Louise 
Knight Knox for her outstanding achievements, service, and public 
distinction. We pray that her children, grandchildren and loved ones 
will be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit 
in the days, weeks and months ahead.

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