History

Expand Your Knowledge About Our School’s Namesake, Mrs. Jewell Rebecca Carter Anderson!

 

Jewell Rebecca Carter was born October 28, 1905 in Concord, Georgia. She married Guy Ruff Anderson on March 31, 1928. The couple raised three children:

James Earnest Anderson, November 4, 1931 – November 11, 1975 (Forest Park High School Graduate)

Marie Ellen Anderson Piper, May 5, 1934 – ( Forest Park High School Graduate)

Guy Joseph Anderson , December 12, 1944- March 1958 – March 1958

 

After marriage, Jewell and Guy Anderson moved to the Murray Lake community of Clayton County. They lived in a two-room cabin which they called home for forty-two years until Jewell’s death in 1970. Guy Anderson added rooms to the cabin as they could afford them. The home became a place of joy and love to many of the inhabitants of the area. Guy Anderson continued to live in the cabin until his death in 1979. During her lifetime, Jewell Anderson was always a friend to, and an advocate for the children who lived in the community. Her yard could always be found filled with children from the community, mostly boys. She could often times be found nursing the wounds of children who had stepped on nails or jumped on glass at the bottom of the lake. To treat the wounds, she used the common home method of the time, which was to soak the wound in kerosene and wrap a clean cloth around it.

It's possible that Jewell Anderson established the first free lunch program in the area. There was a family who lived quite close to the Andersons' and needed assistance for their children. On behalf of this family, Jewell contacted the lunchroom manager at the community school and arranged for these children to get a lunch meal each day. She was always caring in that way.

Jewell Anderson was also a strict disciplinarian, especially when it came to school work. Her own children rarely, if ever, got away with any misconduct or failure to complete school assignments. Anderson was active at her children's school and was friends with many of the teachers.

Mrs. Anderson was also a very religious person. She made sure the children had transportation to church on Sundays. The local school bus driver, Mr. Farmer, was an owner/operator of his own bus. Anderson convinced Farmer to pick up the children of the Murray Lake Community and transport them to church and Sunday school. Mrs. Anderson was a member of the Forest Park First Baptist Church.

While Jewell Anderson lived a very fruitful life, it was not without its tragedy. Her youngest son, Joe, was hit by a car and killed when he was only 14 years old. The young man who hit her son was speeding at the time of the accident, and was charged with manslaughter. Anderson actually went to the court hearing and spoke on behalf of the offender. She expressed to the judge that she did not want another young man's life to be wasted by serving time in jail. Because of her support of the young man, not only was he not incarcerated; he did not receive a speeding ticket.

Jewell Carter Anderson was a humble person. She attended community events and used her home as a gathering place for young people. She was not rich, nor a politician. She was just an ordinary citizen who was a good mother, not only to her own children, but to the community children as well. Mrs. Anderson always gave encouragement to young children and highly valued education (Anderson was awarded a lifetime membership in the Parent Teachers' Association, PTA).

We are proud to be named in honor of such a wonderful human being.


Jewell C. Anderson Elementary School, a Clayton County Public School, is located at 4199 Old Rock Cut Road in Conley, Georgia. It is one of thirty-nine elementary schools in the school system. Jewell C. Anderson Elementary school first opened its doors in August of 1971, and provides academic, behavioral and social/emotional development for students pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The total enrollment of Jewell C. Anderson Elementary School has varied from 387 to 650 students.

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