(1908 – 1976)
Annie Rae Milner was born in Standing Rock, Alabama, on March 3, 1908. After high school at Five Points Consolidated, she went straight to the University of Montevallo, receiving her B.S. in 1929. From that time until her retirement in 1971, Annie Rae Milner served the people of East Alabama — people she loved.
Miss Milner felt especially called to help young Alabamians improve their living conditions. She knew that sharing the knowledge she had gained could best be achieved by teaching school. From 1929 to 1941, she spent several years at Millport, Waverly, Langdale, and Valley High schools. During her ten years of teaching, Miss Milner touched the lives of countless youngsters — inspiring them to reach their highest potential.
In 1941, Annie Rae Milner decided to move her teaching efforts from the public schools to the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service. She could still teach and contribute to improving the lives of her beloved neighbors. Her first assignment was as Assistant Home Demonstration Agent in Walker County. The next year found her serving as Associate County Extension Chairman in Cleburne County, a position she remained in for thirty years.
The Cleburne County Homemakers Club members remember Miss Milner for many reasons. They cite the Homemakers Club Fashion Show and fair exhibits as two of her major accomplishments — she organized both. She taught local homemakers how to preserve vegetables and fruits using pressure cookers. These ladies described her as a precise person and one who did nothing halfway. With words of love, they tell of her as one who always had time for everybody, showed consideration for all she came in contact with. Always dependable, she never missed a club meeting. Today there is an active Annie Rae Milner’s Extension Homemakers Club, whose members are among many who made donations in her honor to the Extension Memorial Chapel Project. Miss Milner also was instrumental in bringing the first nursing home to Cleburne County.
The work Miss Milner accomplished can never be fully measured. But the people she helped will always remember her genuine concern for their welfare. The life and work of Annie Rae Milner are fittingly recognized by the inscription on the dedicatory plaque of the Extension Memorial Chapel.
Chapel Plaque Inscription Number: 93
