Luveal “Katherine” Daniels
She entered the stage of life as Luveal “Katherine” Daniels on October 6,1930, being born to the union of Alma Louise “Jurley” Lyons and Sanders Daniels in Ruston, Louisiana.
She was the second of three siblings. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sisters Dorothy and Lucyellen.
She soon realized the importance of education and set a goal to achieve her dream of becoming a school teacher. She graduated as salutatorian from Lincoln High School in Ruston in 1947.
After graduation, she received an academic scholarship to Bishop College in Marshall, Texas, but later transferred to Grambling College (now Grambling State University). At Grambling, she pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education on August 15, 1952.
She married Samuel Bernard Lewis in 1952 and landed her first teaching job in Franklin Parish in Wisner, Louisiana, the same year. To this union, two children were born, Sharon and Alysia. She also assumed the role of mother to Howard Keith Wright and Rhonda Lynne Reed after her sister Dorothy died. Howard Keith also preceded her in death.
She married John Henry Hodge in August 1980. He also preceded her in death. She was among the first Black students to receive a Master of Arts in Elementary Education, graduating on August 21, 1969.
While continuing to teach, she entered the PIPS Program at Louisiana Tech from November 29, 1979 to June 30, 1985. She returned to Grambling State University in 1981, achieving Masters Plus 30 status in the summer of 1985.
Her career teaching English Language Arts spanned 56 years. She touched the lives of thousands of children, inspiring some of them to also become educators. She was inducted into the Retired Teachers Hall of Fame in 2015. She leaves a legacy of love for children, education and family. She learned many valuable life lessons and passed that knowledge on to her children, both in and out of the classroom.
She exited the stage of life on December 5, 2020, after succumbing to a brief illness.
Memories of her life will live on in her children, Sharon Lewis of Ruston, Alysia Bradford (LeRoy) of Los Angeles, and Rhonda Reed of Houston; her grandchildren, Shondra Spencer (Robert) of Ruston, Garrett Harris (Amber) of Los Angeles, and Jarrett Harris of Los Angeles; her great grandchildren in Ruston, Collin Lacy aka Pryde, Caleb Lacy and Carigen Spencer; her great grandchildren in Los Angeles, Cameron Colindres, Mackenzie Harris and Harper Harris and many relatives, friends, and without a doubt, a plethora of students.
A public viewing will be held from noon – 6 p.m. Friday, December 18, 2020, at Memorial FH in Arcadia, LA.
