Nettie McGimpsey McIntosh

Photo of Nettie McGimpsey McIntosh (1927-2014),.pictured here in 2004 donating to the History Museum of Burke Co., a wash pot that was on her grandparents farm.

Article written by, Tammie Gercken, a member of the Morganton Writers’ Group.

While attending a Black History Month program at Western Piedmont Community College last month, I learned about a local figure who made a powerful impact on the community.

Dr. Leslie McKesson, dean of business, public services and academic support at WPCC, dedicated the program to the late Nettie McGimpsey McIntosh (1927-2014).

The only thing I knew about Nettie at the time was that she was the wife of late legendary educator and pastor, the Rev. W. Flemon McIntosh Jr., fondly remembered as “Coach Mac” or “Rev. Mac.”

McKesson described Nettie, a native of the Lake James area, as a brilliant scholar who graduated from Olive Hill High School in Morganton, the only high school for African-Americans in Burke County before integration.

Nettie earned her bachelor’s degree at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State College, now North Carolina A&T State University, and pursued graduate studies. She taught at Wiley College in Texas before returning to teach at Olive Hill, where she met Rev. Mac. They married in 1951.

After the birth of the McIntoshs’ three children, Yvette, Willie and Willette, McKesson said J. Iverson Riddle asked Nettie to teach at Western Carolina Center, now known as the J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center, the main facility in Burke County that serves the mentally disabled.

“Miss Nettie was a remarkable educator in every setting: from a segregated classroom with multiple grades in one room, to helping children with developmental disabilities, to vocational rehabilitation at Broughton Hospital, and volunteering at Oak Hill Elementary and Table Rock Middle schools during her retirement years,” McKesson said.

I learned Nettie was an avid historian, serving as the vice-president of the Burke County Historical Society. She worked with other volunteers on a two-volume encyclopedia called, “Burke County Heritage — North Carolina,” an invaluable compendium of local history. She also helped many churches compile and preserve their histories.

“She was a skilled researcher, and was considered the authority on the history of Fonta Flora, the early Burke County community that is now covered by Lake James,” McKesson said.

Nettie worked hard to preserve the history of local African-Americans, serving as chair of the Committee for the Preservation of Black History. Sixteen years ago, she helped found a Black History Month celebration called “The Gathering of the People” that has convened annually ever since, supported by the Burke County Public Library.

She helped found the History Museum of Burke County in 2003, donating some of her family’s heirlooms. Judge Claude Sitton, the museum’s director, said these included quilts, a large sawmill blade, a plow and an old wash-pot.

“She was a superhero of mine,” Sitton said. “She was instrumental in getting other African-Americans in the community to donate (items). She was one of the hardest workers we’ve had in the museum.”

Nettie dedicated her time and talents to other organizations, serving on WPCC’s board of trustees, and as registrar and polling judge at the Burke County Board of Elections.

She was a member of the Burke County NAACP, the Community Foundation of Burke County, the Burke County Democratic Women and the American Association of University Women. She volunteered with the Burke County Senior Center and Catawba Valley Girl Scouts, and helped support the Lake James Fire Department.

Nettie was active at Shiloh AME Church in Morganton, where she was a lifelong member. She served as the church’s secretary for most of her working life, in addition to leading Christian education and Sunday school activities, according to her obituary. She was a member of the church’s Nina-Bess Missionary Society, the Stewardess Board No. 1 and the Ladies’ Aid Society, and was the pastor’s aide for a time as well.

“Miss Nettie served in numerous capacities, a favorite of which was church musician, which she performed for many years and passed on to her children,” McKesson said.

Nettie’s obituary states she taught piano to her two daughters, who both went into music ministry.

In addition to Nettie’s close ties to Shiloh AME, she also was known as the “First Lady” of Green Street Presbyterian Church for the nearly 50 years that Rev. Mac pastored there.

Nettie looked further outward through membership in the North Carolina Center for International Understanding/Friendship Force, an international organization promoting understanding among cultures around the world. How she had time to think about that between her family, work, volunteer activities and service to her church, just amazes me.

“She leaves behind a legacy of excellence and genuine love for mankind,” McKesson said. “Her faith was real, and her humility was genuine. She gave encouragement instinctively, imparted wisdom and knowledge unselfishly and believed in the power of every person’s potential. She was an inspiration and a role model to many. Our community is better because she lived among us.”

Tammie Gercken is a member of the Morganton Writers’ Group

Source: http://www.morganton.com/.../article_a0a0eaee-2625-11e8...