LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Memorials continue to come in to remember Little Rock Nine member Thelma Mothershed Wair who passed away on Saturday at the age of 83.
Although she is best known for her role in the desegregation of Central High School, she is also remembered for her kind spirit and the legacy that she leaves behind.
If you grew up in Arkansas, then you probably know of Mothershed Wair from reading about her in history class, but what you might not know is her personality.
"The thing I think I'm the most thankful of today is that I got to know her personally," explained Brian Schwieger with the Central High Visitor Center.
Schwieger spends most days telling people about the Little Rock Nine while at the Central High Visitor Center. While he acknowledges all of their courage and bravery for the desegregation of the school in 1957, he said he wants to take this time to share more about who Mothershed Wair was as a person.
"She loved young people, she loved education, she loved to share from her experiences, she is incredibly selfless. And as sweet as [can be]. She's what you would want if that were your mother, your sister, your wife, your grandmother, your teacher," he described.
Being the civil rights figure that she was, she will always be known for the difference that she made in so many people's lives.
"To have the opportunity today for young people to go to school and to obtain an education with people of various cultures. That opportunity was paid in full by people like Miss Thelma Mothershed Wair," said Tiffany Pettus with the Arkansas MLK Commission.
"She was the oldest of the [Little Rock] Nine, but she was a little quiet because she was born with a heart condition that made her a little less mobile than some of the other students. So she kind of stood back. But behind that quietness was a powerful woman who always made herself known," explained Charles King, Executive Director of Advancement and Development at SEARK.
That's how community members will always remember her.
To this day, there are seven members of the Little Rock Nine are still living. Jefferson Thomas passed away in 2010 at 67 years old.