Myrtle Marshall: A big heart that helped shape little minds
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 greatgrandmother) 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