This weeks Spotlight is on Celeste Stone, long time educator and my high school teacher. Mrs. Stone is also very active in the community now.
Celeste Stone, Colleton County Middle School librarian, has retired …… again.
Celeste and her older brother were raised in Marion, South Carolina, by her father who owned a furniture store and her mother who was an English teacher. Because her mother loved to talk to everyone in the grocery store, Celeste, then an elementary student, persuaded her mother to let her read in the local library until her mom finished shopping. Celeste would sit on the floor and read books in Dewey Decimal order until she heard her mom’s familiar “Sppt!” which alerted her to put the book up and go to the car.
Celeste was active in Marion United Methodist Church and began singing in the choir when she was three. When the children’s choir discontinued at age twelve, Celeste pitched such a fit that the Trustees held a special meeting and granted her the privilege to participate in the adult choir. She continued to sing alto, played duets on the grand piano with the organist, and learned some organ techniques. She took piano lessons for 9 years and organ lessons for 1 year.
When Celeste began ninth grade at Marion High School, she already had several credits from eighth grade and night school at the local vocational center. She told her mom that she was going to graduate in three years, and she did, having accrued 21 credits when colleges only expected 18 credits. She asked her parents if she could pursue a library degree, and her father refused, stating, “Librarians are old maids with thick glasses and their hair in buns, and they spend their time saying, ‘Shhhh.” Instead, Celeste attended Clemson University, and she spent many hours in the study cubicles in the library. In addition to her classes, she was active in Campus Crusade for Christ, East Clemson Baptist Church where she was in the choir, Clemson University chorus, and the Madrigal Singers. While part of Campus Crusade for Christ, a dozen musical friends and she created a praise team. One Way Street, who performed for 3 years on campus, at churches in Clemson, and at churches across the state. She was honored when she received the Hugh McGarity Award for being the outstanding senior woman in the Clemson University chorus. Celeste also took voice lessons for 3 years as elective classes at Clemson. Celeste was graduated with a degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in English.
When Celeste came to Walterboro, she took another year of private voice lessons under the tutelage of Amanda Fulton in addition to singing in the choir for 45 years at First Baptist Church and in the Agape Praise Band for 22 years at Bethel United Methodist Church. She loves singing second soprano, alto, and tenor.
Upon graduation from Clemson, Celeste came to Walterboro to teach English. The following January she met Joe Stone at a church dinner, and they were married ten months later. She stopped teaching so that they could raise a family that included Michael, a son who died at birth, and Mary. Celeste continued to substitute teach for 15 years, and she worked diligently with Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts until Michael became an Eagle Scout. She began teaching English again and earned a Master’s degree in Secondary Education. When her children were teenagers, Celeste read a Dear Abby article about a woman who was contemplating medical school and asked Abby for guidance; Abby told the woman to pursue her dream, no matter how long it would take. With that advice in mind, Celeste told Joe that she wanted to go back to school to get another Master’s degree, this time in Library Science; he quickly agreed.
Celeste earned her Library Science master’s degree 2 years later, at the age of 45, and was assigned to work at Cottageville Elementary, and Northside Elementary where she earned her National Certification. She also worked at Ruffin Middle School, and Colleton County Middle School. She cherished every day because she got to share her love of books with the students at each school, and she chose age-appropriate, high-interest, award-winning books for her students. After 29 years of service, she retired in 2020 to enjoy reading, music, shelling, and travel.
In 2007 Celeste was the first applicant to be with the Friends of the Great Swamp Sanctuary (FROGS), now known as the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary. She has shared her knowledge about the Charleston to Savannah wagon/stagecoach road, the Hartzhog Trail, and the big red chair. In addition, she has helped organize nature walks, assisted with fundraisers, made suggestions for the Walterboro Wildlife Center building design, and educated both family and friends.
In the spring of 2023 Celeste became a member of the Colleton County Memorial Library Board, thus continuing to serve the community while sharing her expertise. She has used her experiences in public school library media centers to contribute information about students’ literary skills.
In July 2023 Eddie Peeples, principal at Colleton County Middle School, frantically called Celeste to ask her to return to work because the assigned librarian had quit 12 days before school. She joyfully went back part-time and spent her year sharing her love for books and websites, ordering state and nationally recognized award-winning books, reorganizing the shelving, and encouraging students to read.
During all of her years of teaching and substitute teaching, she estimates that she has touched more than 10,000 students’ lives. She has always emphasized the need to read and pursue further educational opportunities.
After another busy and rewarding year, she retired again in July and plans to continue reading for pleasure; enjoying music; shelling; traveling with her husband; and spending time with both of their children, their respective spouses, and five grandchildren. You will probably also find her at Colleton County Memorial Library checking out books to read, perusing newspapers and magazines, and studying online.
As I said earlier, Mrs. Stone was my high school teacher, she took the time to work with us, guide us through high school. I do want to thank her for putting up with me through my high school years.
