(1907 – 1998)
Her family and friends say that Willie Callins Lockhart was an independent and spirited woman who cherished the challenges of life. She was loved by her family and all those who knew her. Willie Callins was born in Calhoun County, Alabama, on November 22, 1907. She grew up in Montgomery and went to work after high school as a vocational home economics teacher for four years in Randolph and Coosa counties. She continued to go to school, attending State Teachers College in Montgomery and Tuskegee Institute, and received her B.S. degree in 1937.
Soon after finishing her degree work, Willie received her first appointment with the Extension Service on June 1, 1937. She accepted an appointment as the Extension Home Demonstration Agent in Russell County and served in that position until July of 1941. It was then she transferred to Lee County as Home Demonstration Agent.
Mrs. Lockhart (she had married Jim Lockhart in 1955) was a welcomed friend in the many homes she visited as a county home demonstration agent. She found fulfillment in helping the black farmers and their families use new ideas for farming, gardening, canning, sewing, and other activities necessary for taking care of family needs. She loved sharing her knowledge and based her life on the values she freely taught.
After more than forty years of service as a County Home Demonstration Agent for the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, Mrs. Lockhart retired in November 1977.
While living in Tuskegee and Opelika, she had stayed active in the Church of Christ, the Tuskegee Alumni Association, and was a committed member of the Tuskegee Homemakers Society.
The year following her retirement, she moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to be near her sister Carrie Sims and her family. She later moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, where her nephew Curtis Sims and his wife Charlene lived. It was in Fairbanks that Mrs. Lockhart died, on August 5, 1997. She was 89 years old. Her husband Jim had preceded her in death.
In recognition of her contributions, the name Willie C. Lockhart is inscribed on the dedicatory plaque of the Extension Memorial Chapel.
Chapel Plaque Inscription Number: 397
