He was also the father of Dora Lambert, who married John Thomas Anderson–a cook in Minnie Lacy’s boarding house. In his later years at the college, he worked with William Paige as a janitor in Cushing Hall, and served as Head Deacon at Mercy Seat Baptist Church. John and Dora had seven children: William (b. 1918), John H. (b. 1919), Catherine (b. 1925), Elsie (b. 1928), Edward (b. 1933), Louise (b. 1931), and Dorothy (b. 1934). His daughter Catherine married Lester Stokes, who worked in the college gym washing uniforms. Catherine and Lester’s sons, James, Alton, and Rudolph, also went on to work at the college. Specifically, Rudolph did yard maintenance at H-SC in the late 1950s/early 1960s following the infamous school closings in Farmville. Members of this wonderful family still reside in the Mercy Seat community. John and Dora Anderson are buried in the Mercy Seat Baptist Church cemetery.
- The Lambert and Anderson families were fixtures at the college for nearly a century. Read about them here.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! This is such a beautifully written “tribute”. I am Dorothy (Anderson) Brown’s youngest daughter Sonya. My mom married Hodges Brown, one of the plaintiffs named in Brown v Board of Ed (75 percent of the case came from Moton High School in Farmville). I feel so fortunate that my maternal and paternal ancestry emphasized education although such an interruption took place. As a result, all of Dorothy and Hodges’ children hold graduate degrees and all of our adult children have graduated with at least an undergraduate degree. Thank you again for adding to our legacy. Warmly, Rev. Sonya Brown
Hi Sonya,
Thank you so much for sharing! What an incredible connection. I would love to talk with you more. Please e-mail me if you have a moment! ebaker@hsc.edu
Best,
Elizabeth