Toler, Ettie E.

Ettie E. Toler,
Longtime Teacher Dies At Garland

Ettie E. Toler, September 9, 1895 - July 7, 1971

Ettie E. Toler was born September 9, 1895 in the Greens Creek Community of Erath County, Texas. She was the second of eight children born to Larkin Berryman and Emma Peacock Toler.

She received her teaching certificate from Tarleton College at Stephenville, Texas in 1917 and started teaching at Germany School in Erath County that same year. She taught school all her adult life.

Ettie's parents moved from Erath County to Collin County, Texas just as World War One ended. She evidently made the move with them since she was teaching at the Bethany School which was west of Plano. She then taught at the Lebanon School in Collin County during the 1923-1924 school year.

Jim Toler reported in his book "The L. B. Toller Family History" that Ettie lived with her parents until their death. She attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas and later received a Masters Degree in Education from East Texas State University.

After teaching at four schools in Collin County, she then taught at the Liberty Grove School near present day Rowlett, Texas during the 1925 session. She then began teaching for the Garland School District and taught there until her retirement during the early 1960's.

It seems that Ettie Toler was a vary organized person and even left written instructions as to how her funeral would be conducted. She died at her home in Garland on July 7, 1971 after a brief illness.

The only problem was that her minister of twenty-five years was out of the country at that time. She had left instructions that Reverend Charles L. Cockrell would conduct the funeral service. It turns out that Reverend Carr Suter, the Minister of Education at The First Baptist Church of Garland and long-time associate of Rev. Cockrell would officiate at the service. The funeral services were held at the First Baptist Church of Garland at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, July 8, 1971 and burial followed at Plano Mutual Cemetery.