Page 6 - April 2022 Issue.indd

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for
Hannah Henry Way, Formerly

Chicken Bridge Road

Submitted by the Ridgely Historical Society
for the Hannah Henry Committee

Tues da y, M a r c h ceremony to take place at 1:00 pm. Food
1st, the Committee and drink will be available to include
for Hannah Henry free hot dogs while supplies last. Full
On petitioned the Caroline details have not been worked out yet.
County Commissioners for permission For more information, please contact
to rename Chicken Bridge Road Rodney Dobson, 410-490-1966 or email
in Ridgely, to Hannah Henry Way. rodney1348@comcast.net.
Fifteen members of the committee were

Hannah Henry was born in 1913 in
present to support Rodney Dobson who
Odessa, DE to Thomas and Hannah
officially introduced the name change

Whittington Randall. Her father was
to the Commissioners. After a short
a Methodist minister, her mother a
discussion, the petition was unanimously
housewife. She was the fifth child of
passed. While there is much that has to

five girls and four boys.
be done to logistically make this happen,
the County Commissioners seem to A teacher for her entire career, most
think it could all be done in time for of Hannah Henry's teaching was done
the celebration of Hannah Henry Day in Caroline County starting in 1934
in April. in a one-room school in Ninetown.

The following year, she was transferred
On April 1st, 2019, honoring her 106th to Federalsburg, where she taught in service to the Caroline County school
birthday, the Commissioners of Ridgely the primary grades for four years. She system.
officially proclaimed that April 8th then transferred to Ridgely Elementary
would forever be known as ‘Hannah School in the Trinity subdivision of In June 1936, Hannah was united in
Henry Day’. This year, the plan is to Ridgely. holy matrimony to the love of her life,
celebrate the day on the 9th of April, Colbert Henry, by her father, the Rev.

Thomas Randall. The beautiful union
a Saturday, in order to have a ribbon Hannah Henry had the distinction of
cutting at the intersection of School being the first black teacher assigned lasted for 65 years until Mr. Henry’s
Street and Chicken Bridge Road, near after integration to the previously passing in October of 2001.
the Trinity A.M.E. Church, as the latter all-white Ridgely Elementary School, While Hannah Henry was committed
is renamed Hannah Henry Way. The where she taught until she retired in to her career, she never lost sight of
event is scheduled to run from Noon to 1975, having given a total of 41 years of Christian training. An ardent worker
3:00 pm, with the actual ribbon cutting at Trinity African Methodist Episcopal
 In the Republican Primary ELECT  Church in Ridgely, she served as a
steward, choir member, Sunday School
teacher, Lay member, Missionary
CONWAY GREGORY Society member (the same that bears
Judge of the Orphans’ Court her name) and as church secretary for
over 36 years.

Qualified, Fair Minded, Dedicated She also was the first vice president of
the Cooper, Sampson, Wayman, Greene
Ten years experience as an Orphans’ Court Judge
Area of the Women's Missionary Society;
Four years experience serving as Chief Judge a board member of the Conference
͞/ƚ ŵĂƩĞƌƐ ǁŚŽ ƐĞƌǀĞƐ ŝŶ ĂƌŽůŝŶĞ ŽƵŶƚLJ͟ Branch Women's Missionary Society;
and chairman of the Turner-Tanner
Thank you for your vote and support. Memorial Committee of the Baltimore
ĂƌůLJ ǀŽƟŶŐ ŝƐ :ƵůLJ ϳͲ :ƵůLJ ϭϰ͖ WƌŝŵĂƌLJ ŝƐ :ƵůLJ ϭϵ Conference Branch Women's Missionary
Society. She also held emeritus status
 ^ƵnjĂŶŶĞ 'ƌĞŐŽƌLJ͕ dƌĞĂƐƵƌĞƌ͖ ŽŶǁĂLJ 'ƌĞŐŽƌLJ͕ ĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞ  of the steward board for her longtime

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