J W Gill and Sons Funeral Home

Her many accomplishments encompassed more than a century -- four years more. I, along with a church near full of individuals with special memories of a formidable lady, attended her inspirational memorial. I stress "memorial" rather than funeral because Saturday was an afternoon of a century of memories and creative, uplifting music by the Mt. Zion Choir, by grand-nieces Joan Mobley and Gina Thompson and by Donnie Nicholson. I witnessed something I hadn't seen before that day, countless iPhones recording the music and eulogy. Perhaps that was a reminder of the sad historical event of Ms. Corria (pronounced "Care-e-a"). Not only was she the oldest member of Mt. Zion, but the choir director and pianist for more than 80 years. Eighty years of dedication, always requiring the best of each individual as she did as a teacher (and calling out slackers).I interviewed Ms. Corria a couple of years ago when J.W. Million's Purple Waves hosted a fundraiser at E'ton City Park for our proposed (and much needed) museum. She "instructed" me to "get it correct" if I put her name in my column. As she shook her finger at me, her past students standing around stifled giggles with their hands pressed over their mouths. I smiled and promised her I would as I asked about the important aspects of her more-than-100 years. She never hesitated a second. "Family, my children (numbering in the thousands), their education and my church." She added, "It's important for parents to be role models and teach children respect and discipline, but it is too often true that they do not. Then it is up to us as teachers to be mentors and disciplinarians." No one interrupted when she spoke, but there were several soft sounds of "Amen" and "That's right!" If you closed your eyes as she spoke, you might have thought you were sitting at a desk 50 or 60 years ago. Ms. Corria was just getting wound up about the laxity of today's discipline and changes in education. Somewhere, perhaps at the very beginning, I lost control of the interview. No one guided Ms. Corria's tho... (The Messenger)