Sixty- seven years ago Thelma Mothershed hiked up the 55 steps leading to the entrance of Central high, integrating schools for years to come. Oct.19, Mothershed passed away, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire students to have resilience when fighting for their rights.

Terrance Roberts, a fellow member of the Little Rock Nine, shared his reflections at Mothershed’s funeral on Saturday Oct. 26, at Pulaski Heights Methodist Church by reading the stories he documented in his memoir, “Lessons from Little Rock.” Mothershed was the oldest member of the Nine who also suffered from several health conditions throughout her whole life.

“What she may have lacked in physical prowess she made up for in her strength of will, with determination and commitment,” said Roberts.

National Park Ranger Brian Schwieger, who got the opportunity to work closely with Mothershed over the years, was blindsided by her passing.

“It’s really been a difficult week because we weren’t expecting this. Despite some of her physical ailments, she was just so tough and so incredibly kind. She was just such a strong woman, said Schwieger. “It’s been really difficult to kind of process [her passing] because of what she meant to this site and the people that work here.”

Through his  personal interactions with Mothershed, Schwieger feels he was able to fully grasp the nuances of her personality.

“She was very introverted, but subtly a super funny person. There’s no telling how many lives she influenced and touched,” said Schwieger.

Even though Mothershed was a quiet person, she wanted everyone to hear her story.

“When I first met her, she just wanted to help me learn more about the stories [about the integration] from her perspective rather than the academic perspective, not like somebody who’s writing a book, but somebody who is speaking from a personal experience,” Schwieger said.  “She would talk with me about memories as a young student here in Little Rock during Jim Crow. She shared a lot of things with me that really helped me understand her motivation for wanting to do what she did across the street at your school.”

Other community members including Mayor Frank Scott Jr. emphasized the importance of her actions at her funeral.

Not only is the Little Rock community affected by the loss of Mothershed, but Schwieger believes the whole nation is as well.

“She meant a ton to the rest of the world, not just the Little Rock community. One of the great things about the Little Rock Nine is they are incredibly kind, generous, and real people. We don’t need to lose anyone else like Mothershed.” Schwieger said.

This past summer, AP African American Studies teacher Ruthie Walls traveled on a civil rights tour through the Common Truth and

Democracy program. Inspired by that trip, Walls decided she wanted to give students the same experience this school year, but will put her own spin on it.

“I learned so much from that trip I thought we could start with that base that I got from the organization, but end here back at our Central home, paying a special tribute to Ms. Mothershed,” said Walls.

Fortunately, Schwieger got to experience a final moment with Mothershed, demonstrating the personality he described.

“She gave me a hug and she kissed me on the cheek, and she said, ‘I love you, I’m so grateful for you’,” Schwieger said. “I think she just loved without fail, she was forgiving, she was selfless. She’s the kind of person that if we can all just be a little bit like her, we’re going to be fantastic people.”