A special tribute to Augustine T. Buie

Published 8:00 am Saturday, January 7, 2023

Mrs. Augustine Tillman Buie taught students in the county schools of Progress, Friendship, Lincoln County Training School and Eva Hall Harris School alumni. During these years she shared her knowledge with every student who received it and that allowed her to earn healthy and loving lifetime bonds.

Some of Mrs. Augustine Buie’s personal history includes: she is a native of the Loyd Star community in Brookhaven. She was born in Lincoln County to the late Luther and Mary (Sis.) Tillman. Her siblings include Homer Tillman, Charle Tillman, James Tillman, the late DeWitt Tillman, Johnette T. Holloway and Annie Pearl T. Kelly. While growing up in the Loyd Star community, Mrs. Augustine attended Damascus MB Church School and church service with her mother. They were vital assets to Damascus as well as to Ebenezer AME Church, her dad’s home church in this community.

She married the late Frank Buie and is the biological mother of George (Linda) Johnson, Cassanda (Anthony) and Luther (Yolanda). She is a loving mom to her stepchildren, that she calls her children. She is a very proud grandmother, three generations deep. She has a goddaughter, Tameka Henderson, that she loves. She enjoys being with all of her family members.

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After graduating from Damascus, she attended Alexander High School in Brookhaven. She was a productive student who excelled well in her studies and graduated high school in 1951. She later attended Alcorn A&M College, where she majored in home economics and graduated with a B.S. degree in 1955. This was a great milestone in her life. She acquired advanced classes at Jackson State College, Tougaloo College and Mississippi State University.

She served in many positions at Damascus, Ebenezer and Kynette churches. Her hobbies include traveling, sewing, cooking, and her special one — spoiling her grandchildren.

Mrs. Buie said the most exciting jobs of her teaching career were math and science, at Progress, Lincoln County Training School and Eva H. Harris schools. During her long tenure in this school district, she reached many students and she changed many young people’s lives. She taught and spread knowledge and love throughout the years. Mrs. Buie’s last teaching job was at West Lincoln School after the schools were integrated. It was at West Lincoln during the school term of 1989-1990 that Mrs. Buie retired with 30-plus years of service. She was loyal and dedicated to every student.

In 2005, she was awarded the Golden Student Award at Alcorn State University. That was a great honor, and another milestone in her life. She was also given the 50th Golden Award at Jackson State University the same year. Her family and friends were proud of her and recognized her at her church, Kynette, for her many, many accomplishments and milestones in her life.

Mrs. Buie has truly made lifelong friends through her many students. She reaches out to them through phone calls, season and fun cards, letters and any positive way she can. She has befriended these students and continues to take interest in each of them. For this reason, it gives them great honor and pleasure to recognize this great lady.

She is a great and loving alumni advisor and mentor today, and was a loyal and dedicated teacher and sponsor. The alumni say thank you. We love and appreciate what you have done to teach and encourage your students. Everyone thanks God Almighty for you.

On behalf of all of her former students, Mary F. Lyons McMorris and Carolyn E. Beard Humphries.