HOME IS a haven of comfort and familiarity, where cherished memories and a sense of belonging intertwine. It’s where laughter echoes through familiar hallways, the aroma of favorite meals dances in the air, and where a well-worn couch invites rest after a long day. Within its walls, the tapestry of life unfolds — from quiet moments of reflection to loud gatherings of friends and loved ones. Home is where personal stories are written and retold, where photographs capture the journey of years gone by, and where everything slides into our heart’s home base.
But home isn’t always confined to or defined by a place. For decades of Webb School students, home is Dorothy Elkins. Home for Elkins is Bell Buckle, her beloved Webb School family, the fire department where her husband, James, was chief for 42 years, and everyone in her path. And she’s never had far to go to be home.
She still resides in her husband’s childhood home. The home, from which he left school as a teenager to work in an airplane factory in Maryland, became their home after he returned to Bell Buckle her junior year. He turned her head, looking all handsome in his white shirt, tie, and blazer. His mustache didn’t hurt things, either.
They settled into married life, him as a mechanic from their home’s garage and as chief of the volunteer fire department within walking distance.
“He really did love the fire department. The fire hall is named for him, and they added a kitchen and a place for the firemen to sleep, and he’d be so elated over that,” she said.
She stayed home with their son, Robert, until her cousin, Sybil Steiner, who worked at the school, called on a March day in 1957 and asked her to help out at the school for two or three weeks.
“I said, ‘Well, I guess,’ so I went up there to work. I just loved it, and nobody ever said [for me to] leave. I’m in my 67th year now,” Elkins said.
Like many, the pandemic forced her to work from home, but she found the bright side and continues to work from home today.
“I like it,” she said. “I don’t have to get dressed and put on makeup, and since I’ve been there for so long, they said yes [to continuing to work from home].”
She’s the one with her eye on all the Webb students, former students, and graduates. She pours over the Shelbyville and Murfreesboro newspapers, watching for special occasions and losses, and sends cards with personal messages then and on birthdays. Torn rotator cuffs make it harder for her to address them now, so the school’s staff addresses the envelopes for her. Her knees force her to use a walker, too, but she’s not slowing down, just working around anything that might get her way.
“You’re better off to use your mind,” Elkins said. She should know. She turned 97 in August, and her mental sharpness is as good or better than today’s average middle-aged person. Most her age are in assisted living or skilled nursing facilities and recall more of their past than the present, but not Elkins. She has an eye on her small town and a heart of gold.
And her small town has an eye on her.
The student center named in her honor at Webb is her crowning jewel.
“There’s a little cafe in it and meeting rooms and some offices, and it’s lovely. I feel so honored,” said Elkins.
Webb’s head of school, Ken Cheeseman, said, “Ms. Dorothy is an icon within our broader community. As I travel throughout the world to visit with alumni, the question, no matter what continent I am on, that is most asked is, ‘How is Ms. Dorothy?’ Over the years, she has positively influenced hundreds and hundreds of students, faculty, and board of trustees. She was a second mother to our boys, nurturing and challenging them to become men of honor and integrity. Receiving a handwritten note from Ms. Dorothy has been a ray of sunshine for those of us who receive one of those treasures. At 97 years old, she still brings joy and blessings to our community.”
Her presence is so large that Leigh Adams, the school’s director of alumni & development, was initially intimidated to meet her.
“I am one of the newer members of the community, and I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, Ms. Dorothy is a legend!’ Within seconds of our first lunch together, I felt right at home. She has a way of making the people around her feel comfortable and special — something a lot of people only feel with family — but that is exactly what Ms. Dorothy is to so many. She is home, and she is family,” said Adams. “She has been a mom, a confidant, a colleague, a support system, and a dear friend to so many people across the decades. She is an integral part of what makes The Webb School and Bell Buckle so special.”
Elkins is the common thread.
Jonathon Hawkins, associate director of alumni development, said, “It’s an honor and privilege to work with Ms. Elkins in Webb’s Alumni and Development Office. She is vital in our efforts to engage with Webb alums, parents, and friends, sending birthday wishes and sympathy notes and making fundraising calls for the Webb Fund and other school priorities. Ms. Elkins is loved by generations of alumni and continues to make an impact on students and their families today.”
There’s no doubt Elkins is in the hearts of countless people who have known her and interacted with her through the years. Her chuckle caused them to smile, her pies sweetened their spirits, and a few minutes of conversation with her refueled them for whatever challenge they faced. Her cards rekindle home in the hearts of her Webb family as she continues her work on the job that no one’s ever asked her to leave. GN
