Falkville council honors teacher, library board member for service

By Tracey Tylman

For the Enquirer 

The Falkville Town Council recognized Rhona Summerford for her decades of service to the community during its meeting April 7. Summerford, a longtime member of the Falkville Public Library Board, was presented with an award, and a section of the library was dedicated in her honor. The area will feature juvenile historical fiction books, reflecting her passion for history. 

Summerford served on the library board for 27 years and was a history and government teacher in Falkville for 24 years. She was known for her deep love of teaching and history. Her favorite part of teaching was working with the students. “I loved the kids and had some sort of rapport with each one,” she said. 

Summerford’s most cherished memory from her time with the library was helping organize it. “My daughter-in-law and I both were helpful in getting it organized from the very beginning,” she recalled. 

In addition to her work on the library board, Summerford was involved with the Historical Society and published The Falkville Collection in 2014, a book that explores the local history of Falkville and its surrounding areas. 

City Clerk Dawn Estes, who met Summerford when Estes worked as a librarian, described her as “caring, loves the community, loves her family, loves history.” Estes added that Summerford’s commitment to teaching was evident. “She does her best to teach,” Estes said. 

To make the library’s dedicated section even more meaningful, Summerford’s grandson, Robert Summerford, built the bookshelves. 

Rhona Summerford was recognized by the Falkville Town Council at its meeting April 7 for her years of dedicated service. She is pictured with her family.

Summerford, a mother of three sons and grandmother to six, was joined at the meeting by several family members, including her son Eric Summerford. “She’s busy and does something all the time,” he said. He also expressed his gratitude for having her as a teacher in high school, calling himself “fortunate” to have learned from her.