Elsie Irene Todd Daniels, widow of John Cecil Daniels, died Friday at the age of 90. Elsie was born April 17, 1932 in the mountains of North Georgia in the little town of Sarah, Georgia (now Suches, Georgia.) She was the fourth child of Alvin and Zura Todd, who ran Todd's Dahlia Farm in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Growing up on a farm in a large family taught Elsie to be a jack-of-all-trades, a trait she demonstrated her whole life. A true teacher at heart, she constantly shared her knowledge with everyone she knew.
Elsie’s formal education included a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Georgia, as well as a Master’s Degree in Education (1959), a Specialist in Education Degree (1966) and Certified as 6th Year in Educational Administration (1972). But as an avid reader and traveler, she never stopped learning and she never stopped being a teacher.
Elsie taught thousands of students in public and private schools at all grade levels and all subjects over her 35-year-long career. Teaching middle school science and social studies was her favorite assignment, though. She constantly amazed friends and family by being able to recall names, descriptions, and interesting facts about students, even decades after last seeing them in her classroom. Many students contacted her years after their time in her classroom to tell her what an impact she made on them.
Part of what made Elsie such an amazing teacher is that she had a passion for our world. She believed so much in NASA's space program that she applied for and was granted a 2-week loan of lunar soil and rock samples to share with students and she applied to be the teacher in space on the ill-fated Challenger Space Shuttle. She also escorted students to Washington DC and many other destinations. She was determined to give every resident of Georgia an opportunity to see the state flower, Cherokee Rose, spearheading the effort to plant at least one in every county of Georgia. She spent the summer of 1976 in west Africa, immersed in the local culture so that she could create teaching units to help students back home have a better global understanding.
Elsie was an active member and leader with the Lion's Club, the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Friendship Force and Martha Bowman Methodist Church. She was the first female president of the Forsyth Lion's Club. She was president of AAUW and coordinated their annual Book and Author event. She traveled with and hosted travelers through the Friendship Force. Elsie also enjoyed Macon’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival, serving on the senior royalty court in 1994 and serving as an ambassador for the festival ever since.
Elsie's travels through Friendship Force, Lion's Club, other organizations and independent trips have taken her to all seven continents and all fifty US states. She conquered the seventh continent, Antarctica, in 2015, at the age of 82. Planning that trip was her motivation to recover from a difficult surgery. She did recover and was able to walk with the penguins and explore remote areas with a scientific expedition group. Her determination to take this trip proves again the quote by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, “Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”
Yes, Elsie lived her “dash” well. (Any of the many dozens of recipients of her gift of the book “The Dash” by Linda Ellis and Mac Anderson will understand this! If you don’t, consider this just one more lesson from Elsie… go look up this book and read it!)
Elsie’s husband Cecil died three years to the day earlier. Elsie was also preceded in death by her parents, Alvin and Zura Todd, her sister Eddie Mae Burke, her brother Marion "Buddy" Todd. She is survived by her two sisters, Nell Brown and Thelma Sudderth, one brother, George Todd (Gisela), and sister-in-law Rosalyn Daniels Sumner; her five children, Cecilia Odum (Riley), Louise DeLaurier, Earl Daniels (Nyambura Kihato), Beth Woods (John), and Todd Daniels (Donna). Her heritage also extends to twenty-six grandchildren, dozens of nieces, nephews, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. She was cared for in her later years by faithful helpers Shirley Howard, Delrita Lawrence, grandson Daniel Odum, and Teresa West.
A memorial service to celebrate Elsie’s life and the many ways she impacted the world will be held at Macon Memorial Park Funeral Home, 3969 Mercer University Dr on Tuesday, June 21 at 11 am, with visitation to greet friends at 10 am. Elsie loved flowers her whole life, but she doesn’t need them now. She would prefer you make a donation of your time or other resources to the charity of your choice. Some of her favorites were Lion’s Club and Macon Rescue Mission.
