By Yolanda T Marshall
It takes a big heart to help shape little minds. My aunt, Myrtle Marshall, was born in Georgetown Public Hospital on May 29th, 1957. Like her grandmother, Druscilla Marshall and her mother, Alma Marshall, my aunt took on the role of an educator for kindergarteners until she retired. Her grandmother (my great-grandmother) Druscilla was a pioneer who opened and ran Teacher Marshall’s Kindergarten School in Georgetown. Some of her children, nieces and grandchildren followed the same path. Teachers with big hearts, like my aunt Myrtle, positively shaped the lives of the younger generation in Guyana.
My fondest childhood memories of my aunt include watching her play the guitar while sitting at the window of the family home in Bent Street. She was tall with a thin, almond-shaped face and had thick, straight, bouncy hair. Her slender fingers with neatly manicured nails strummed the most beautiful gospel songs on her father’s acoustic guitar. I also enjoyed playing grandad’s guitar and often wished I played as well as aunty Myrtle. She would cheer me on every time I played a new song, even if three notes were all I knew. My aunt was a beautiful, gentle, and talented musician. Yet, this brilliant musical talent remained within that home on Bent Street. She wasn’t a stage performer or musician like her brother, my dad, Herbie Marshall.
While I attended St Margaret’s Primary School, my aunt held a position as nursery school teacher. I would visit her daily, and she always offered me money for lunch treats. Sometimes she took my younger sister and me to her quiet and clean church. Her laughter echoed the authenticity of pure joy in a room, and the last time I witnessed this in person was in 2000. My aunt was never married and didn’t have children of her own, but God blessed her with hundreds of children throughout her life. Children like me, who are now adults dedicated to inspiring, representing and uplifting the younger generation.
Guyanese educators like my aunt are the angels of the land. Their time on earth is worthwhile – they come, offer gifts of knowledge, and leave. Their presence fosters and preserves intelligence and resilience.
Aunt Myrtle’s entire life was dedicated to watching children reach various milestones and encouraging them to keep going. My aunt continued to cheer me on with every book I wrote and every award I won. She was so excited about me becoming a mother and overjoyed when she learnt that my 3-year-old son started reading. That same high-pitched joy in her laughter reassured me that I made her proud.
Our phone calls throughout the years were long, and she was well-informed on all that was happening in my life as I was with hers. A week before she passed, we had our last conversation. Although this is not the kind of goodbye I wanted to say to my aunt Myrtle, it is the kind a higher power permits. My aunt, Myrtle Marshall, died in Georgetown Public Hospital on January 21st 2023, after a long battle with illness. I know her guidance and protection will forever be embedded into the minds she helped to shape.
