Tenie Holmes

Tenie Holmes was born in Durango, Texas, in 1874. She attended school in Durango from 1883 to 1891. In 1891 she entered Baylor University and attended for two years.

Tenie Holmes began teaching at the age of 16 for the Hawes family at Saluria Pass. She came to Bay City in 1895 with her mother, Virginia Holmes. Her mother established a private school, and both she and her mother taught many children of Bay City pioneer families. "Miss Tenie" began teaching in Bay City public school in 1898. She taught in the first two-room school building on Eighth Street and Avenue E; in 1901 she moved to the new two-story frame building at the corner of Cottonwood and Eighth Streets; and in 1905 to the new Jefferson Davis School on Fourth Street. She taught there until she retired in 1934.

In 1936 she opened a kindergarten where she taught until her death in August, 1952. Miss Tenie was buried beside her mother in Cedarvale Cemetery, Bay City.

In 1952 a new school was named "Tenie Homes Elementary School" in honor and memory of her long career as a teacher. This gracious little lady, full of humor and with love and affection for all children, taught a total of 55 years, and probably taught members of more families than any other teacher in Bay City.