Mrs. English was born in Menifee, Arkansas, on April 3, 1908. Her parents, Joseph and Effie L. Talley, welcomed their little daughter as they had been married eleven years without signs of beginning a family. Very early on she began to show an interest in her profession. She would play at school with dogs, cats, and dolls as students. The dolls were most cooperative, always giving perfect attention while the dogs, like curious students, were ready to investigate every noise, rudely knocking against teacher and school properties. In the meantime, she was attending the proverbial two-room schoolhouse on the hill. She took pride in carving her initials on the benches and boasting of fights after school, using as a weapon the gallon bucket which held a lunch of sorghum molasses, bread, and meat. As time moved on, the three schools were consolidated in 1919 and she continued her school work at the Conway County Training School. At the time, the school only offered courses as far as 9th grade. While her father was saving money for her to attend a center of higher learning, she repeated the 9th grade. In 1924, she entered the high school department of Spelman College. Here she received a splendid foundation in character and literary training. In 1929, she returned to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia where she began her college courses. She majored in Latin and English. She was active in numerous affairs, being president of the Latin Club, news editor for the Campus Mirror, member of the Glee Club and chorus. She worked part of her way as assistant hall matron, waitress in the dining room, reader and caretaker of a blind teacher on the campus. After graduation, she returned home to teach. The flollowing June, she wed Clarence R. English. Together they reared a family of seven children. Their names are Dorothy Lee Brown, Effie Loretta Choate, Carol Ann Hall, Clarence Richard ll, Joseph William, James Talley, and Paul Dennis. They also reared three foster sons, Audrey Whisonant, Ralph Howard, and Percell Higgins. It was wonderful experience to have them in their home. She taught elementary and high school for 34 years and retired in 1968. After retiring, she was engaged in church and community work. Her hobbies were vegetable and flower gardening, caring for cats, dogs, and birds, and writing. She was editor in chief of the Bicentennial book, Menifee Past and Present and wrote Black People on the Move and Afro-Americans Speak Out. She presented plays at the State Capitol and had tea at the Governor's Mansion. Among her favorite quotations was this one: ""God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I can not change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.""