Sansom-Piper

Funeral services for Susie E. Moultry Sansom-Piper, 98, are scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, at St. James Missionary Baptist Church, 3417 E. MLK in Austin with Pastor R.W. McLendon Sr. officiating.

Burial will be in Oak Lawn Cemetery, Rock-dale.

Public viewing is 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, at E.M. Franklin Chapel, 1812 E.M. Franklin Ave., Austin.

Mrs. Sansom-Piper, the only child of the late Julius W. “Bose” Moultry and Eula Bell Crayton Moultry, was born in Rockdale Aug. 23, 1921.

Her mother, Eula Bell Crayton Moultry, was the first black nurse in Milam County. Her father, Bose Moultry, was a renowned blacksmith, and a World War I veteran.

She attended Aycock High School and graduated in 1937 as a salutatorian. She received an associate degree in business administration, graduating with honors, from St. Phillips Junior College, San Antonio, in 1940. In 1946, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Samuel Huston College (now Huston-Tillotson University), Austin, receiving a bachelors of science degree in business administration.

A master’s degree was conferred with honors from Prairie View A&M College in administration and elementary education in 1956 along with a counselor certification and additional studies under the National Science Foundation Program in science and mathematics.

She was first married to the late Emzy James Sansom in 1940. They had two daughters, Barbara Sue Sansom Holsome and the late Eula Ammie Sansom Hebert, After Mr. Sansom’s death, she married the late Rev. John A. Piper, who also preceded her in death. After the death of daughter Eula, she raised two of her five grandchildren, Tamara and Emzy Jerome.

Her 41-year teaching career began in Rockdale’s Aycock schools in 1943-44 when a replacement teacher was needed for grades 3-5 and music. For 23 years, she served in various capacities teaching grades 3-8; high school, science, social studies, business education, and music. She also assisted in the educational testing program and served as bookkeeper-secretary for many years.

Many of her students were district and state winners in UIL events.

After integration in 1965, she was the final principal of the Aycock school, and was assigned the task of “bridging the gap” for successful integration.

During 1966-67 school term, Mrs. Sansom-Piper was transferred to the Rock-dale Junior High as teacher of seventh grade reading and math. Two years later, she was assigned to teach Texas history, the position she held for the next 15 years.

In addition, to a 41-year teaching career, she found time to give back to her community and church. She was an avid reader, writer, seamstress and poet. She also crocheted and painted.

A prolific writer, she authored Way Back When, Ebony Etchings, Just Folks, From Valleys to Mountains and numerous articles. Her writings included 42 years of newspaper features in The Rockdale Reporter, writing and editing numerous church bulletins, and newsletters.

After her retirement, she visited Austin Area Schools to present her Way Back When series on life in the past, continued to write, speak at selected engagements, create arts and crafts, and play for her St. James Goldennaires Church choir until the age of 97½.

Prior to her death, at the age of 98, she published When a Loved One Dies, with her granddaughter, Tamara, and began the last phase of her legacy work Seventeen Years in the Black Room.

Mrs. Sansom-Piper won numerous awards, certificates, and honors for her works over the many decades.

She always said “There is something worthwhile in everyone, that no one has to fail if he or she will only believe in themselves” and “make an effort to bring out the good that is within everyone you meet.”

She also stressed her blackboard rules to anyone she came in contact with: “Root Hog, or Die Poor Pig”; Nothing from Nothing Leaves Nothing, You do nothing you get nothing; It’s a Poor Dog That Won’t Wag His Own Tail; If You Are Pushed Down in one Place, Pop Up Somewhere Else.

Survivors include her daughter Barbara S. Holsome (Welton Sr.); granddaughter Tamara Powell (Marcus); grandchildren Cynthia Scott (Jerome), Welton Holsome Jr., Anthony Holsome; one great-grandaughter, Brittany Norris; and two great-great-granddaughters, Kianna and Brianna. She also leaves her oldest remaining brother/first cousin, Howard Locklin, and a host of other close cousins.

Special family additions include Eartha Col-son, Levaughn Patrick, Rev. Johnny and Leitha Lewis, Arnetta White, her St. James church family and many other dear, community members, students, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents Eula and Bose Moultry, husband E.J. Sansom, daughter Eula Hebert, husband Rev. J.A. Piper, and grandson Emzy Jerome Hebert.