Minnie Louise Holbrook Billups
She was born on what is now called Dry Fork, known as Letitia, KY on September 12, 1934. She was 86 years old when she went home for her final rest in her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on August 25, 2021 at her house in South Shore. She was a member of the Bethlehem United Methodist Church and the Kentucky Retired Teachers Association.
Preceded in death besides her parents are her ex husband, Averal Billups, three sisters, Jewel Stone, Olive Whitt and Nellie Holbrook.
Surviving are two sisters, Pam Whitt of Greenup, KY, Linette
(Howard) Sommers of South Shore, Kentucky, two brothers. John David (Eloise) Holbrook of Wheelersburg, Ohio and Howard Holbrook of Greenup, Kentucky, many nieces, nephews and extended family and friends.
Minnie taught for Greenup County Schools for 33 years. Minnie started teaching at a time that her high school diploma and her own desire to work was all she needed to get started. She completed her Bachelor’s of Art from Morehead State University in May of 1968. She started teaching in a one room school at Plum Grove, Shultze Creek for a year and then two years at the Bryson one room school house before moving to Fullerton Grade School in what we know as South Shore. The Fullerton School house in now known as the South Shore Nursing home.
Minnie often told about teaching in the one room schools and teaching all eight grades though most teaching for was mostly in primary grades. She also worked summers for the Head Start program. She taught school and continued her education until she gained her Master’s Degree not so surprising but interesting is her MA was actually in Geography.
Minnie loved to travel. She went on more than one trip abroad and loved to relive those memories of seeing Isreal and Bethleham especially. The pyramids in Egypt was also a favorite line of pictures and memories she liked to share.
One of her favorite quotes is that of Jesse Stuart:
“I Am firm in my belief that a teacher lives on and on through his students. Good teaching is forever and the teacher is immortal”
Minnie was fond of Mr. Stuart’s writing and may have been one of her favorites. She later taught for many years at South Portsmouth grade school. She retired in 1986 but continued to work often as a substitute teacher for Greenup County for several more years.
Minnie lived in a time that she saw so much development and so many gains and losses for our country and our education system. In the past decade she has often said she was glad to be retired because she really felt she could not have continued to teach under some of the newer guidelines and restrictions our teachers face today.
She did not birth children of her own but she had many many children in her heart. She had many nieces and nephews that she loved and was proud of the men and women they grew into. She wanted good for them all. The children she taught in school became so precious to her and she to some of them. It was not uncommon for her to run into past students in a doctors office or around town and she loved to talk and catch up with them and their lives. When she married Averal Billups she gained more family and children and she loved them.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021 at the Roberson Funeral Home in South Shore, Kentucky with Bob Thompson, officiating. Burial will follow in Holbrook Cemetery, South Shore, Kentucky. Friends may call from 12 p.m. till the service hour at 3 p.m.
