Louise Ross
Louise Ross
St Louis Park Resident and Elementary School Teacher
I have an essay I like. It reads, “You only pass this way but once. Any good that I may do, let me do it now.”
Louise Ross
St Louis Park Resident and Elementary School Teacher
My name is Louise Ross. I was born September 25th, 1920 in a small country town in Missouri. I like to tell the children that I have gone from the horse and buggy to out of space travel. I am 87 years old.
My childhood was rather varied. My father died three months before I was born. I lived with my mom and her parents. My mother passed away when I was five years old.
My schooling was really different. I was home-schooled by my grandparents. In Missouri all the black children and white children had to go to separate schools. There were only a small number of black children.
This is the funny part of the story. My grandfather was the President of a white school board. He was an outstanding farmer. Even though he was President, he, too, couldn’t go to school.
Every morning we had a family prayer before breakfast and went to Sunday school and church. My Grandfather was the pastor of a white church in Missouri. Unbelievable but true.
I went to the church and played with the children and they came to our house. We’d have sleepovers. It was amazing. We could do all these things together but couldn’t go to school together! They said schools had to be separate but equal, but we had no school.
At the age of about forty-nine I took a course to be a teacher’s aide through the Board of Education in St. Louis Missouri. For twelve years I worked with children K through 3rd grade.
I’m the mother of five children and all of my children have finished college. I’m a widow at this time.
Let Me Do It Now
Honoring Louise Ross
Let Me Do It Now
(Honoring Louise Ross)
Psalms 23
Means the world to me
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
We only pass this way
But once I say
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
My father passed away
Three months before my birthing day
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
At the age of five
My mother died
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
Lived with my grandmother
And with my grandfather
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
Grandfather, a warm man
Minister who farmed the land
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
Each day had family prayer
On Sunday for God we cared
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
To our home my friends came
At sleepovers we were all the same
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
Off to school my friends could go
But for me had to learn at home
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
Even though Grandfather was the head
Of the white school board he led
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
All because my skin was black
I was told to step back
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
In my Grandfather’s Model T
To get ahead I had to leave
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
In a town mostly white
To mix it up is only right
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
Each of you is a gift
To be equal is to mix
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
From horse & buggy to outer space
What will become of the human race
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
Unbelievable but true
This love I have for you
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
Psalms 23
Means the world to me
Any good that I may do,
let me do it now
We only pass this way
But once I say
Any good that I may do, let me do it now
Words & music by Larry Long with Mrs. Hansen and Ms. Robinson’s 6th grade class of Cedar Manor Elementary School. St. Louis Park, Minnesota.
© Larry Long 2007 / BMI