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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cHe 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\u2019d be so elated over that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI said, \u2018Well, I guess,\u2019 so I went up there to work. I just loved it, and nobody ever said [for me to] leave. I\u2019m in my 67th year now,\u201d Elkins said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like many, the pandemic forced her to work from home, but she found the bright side and continues to work from home today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI like it,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t have to get dressed and put on makeup, and since I\u2019ve been there for so long, they said yes [to continuing to work from home].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She\u2019s the one with her eye on all the Webb students, former students, and graduates. She pours over the\u00a0Shelbyville 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\u2019s staff addresses the envelopes for her. Her knees force her to use a walker, too, but she\u2019s not slowing down, just working around anything that might get her way.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re better off to use your mind,\u201d Elkins said. She should know. She turned 97 in August, and her mental sharpness is as good or better than today\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And her small town has an eye on her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The student center named in her honor at Webb is her crowning jewel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s a little cafe in it and meeting rooms and some offices, and it\u2019s lovely. I feel so honored,\u201d said Elkins.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Webb\u2019s head of school, Ken Cheeseman, said, \u201cMs. 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, \u2018How is Ms. Dorothy?\u2019 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her presence is so large that Leigh Adams, the school\u2019s director of alumni & development, was initially intimidated to meet her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am one of the newer members of the community, and I remember thinking, \u2018Oh my gosh, Ms. Dorothy is a legend!\u2019 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 \u2014 something a lot of people only feel with family \u2014 but that is exactly what Ms. Dorothy is to so many. She is home, and she is family,\u201d said Adams. \u201cShe 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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Elkins is the common thread. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jonathon Hawkins, associate director of alumni development, said, \u201cIt\u2019s an honor and privilege to work with Ms. Elkins in Webb\u2019s 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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s 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\u2019s ever asked her to leave. GN <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" HOME IS a haven of comfort and familiarity, where cherished memories and a sense of belonging intertwine. It\u2019s 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 \u2014 from quiet […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":21077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/shelbyville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/11\/4-1024x683.png\")
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