November 12, 1912 – November 12, 2004
by Alyce Mask Calmore, All Saints’ Church, Hamlet, 2013
Frances Louise Sampson Mask
Our mother was a native of La Porte, Indiana. She was baptized the twenty-second day of March, 1913 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in La Porte where her parents and grandparents were communicants.
After completing high school in La Porte, she pursued all of her higher education in the South, going first to Fisk University in Nashville, TN, and then to Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, where she received her undergraduate degree in history. She pursued further study at Atlanta University, North Carolina A & T State University, Saint Augustine’s College, East Carolina University and Appalachian State University.
At Atlanta University mother met and fell in love with our Dad, James W. Mask, Jr., from Hamlet, NC. After asking our grandfather for his permission, they were married August 25, 1938, in La Porte, and subsequently moved to Hamlet where together they successfully raised five wonderful children.
Mother, who was an accomplished pianist, gave private piano lessons to many talented young people in our home before joining the teaching community in Richmond County. At the end of the 1974-75 school term she retired from the public schools of Richmond County where she was Chairperson of the Social Studies Department in the high school for her last ten years there. She was active in the Association of Classroom Teachers, an affiliate of the North Carolina Association of Educators, the professional educators’ association. Upon retiring she served as District Eight Secretary of the Retired School Personnel and Devotional Chairperson of the local unit, and also served for a time as the acting president of the local unit.
At All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Hamlet, mother served at various times in many capacities. At one time she was the Chairperson of Christian Social Relations for the All Saints’ branch of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW). She served as a member of the parish Vestry, Vice President of the Marjorie Milham Chapter of ECW, Director of the Church School, as well as serving as a teacher for a class. Mother was also in charge of the Moncure Fund and was an active member of the Altar Guild.
Whoever wanted an honest answer knew Miss Frances would give it. She was well known for her frankness and reality checks. Well into her eighties mother was active not only in the church, but also in civic organizations in her community, where she was loved, respected and admired for the caring and compassion she exemplified in all her endeavors.
At home she was always doing something, seldom watched TV, but read, listened to music or played the piano. She had such grace, strength, calmness, and a peacefulness about her that was so soothing. She was indeed a remarkable woman, wife, mother, friend and role model. She was and always will be our idol.