Page 12 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2025 - Online Magazine

Exceptional
SENIORS
The Unlikely Story
Texas Educator
All big things come from small beginnings. -James Clear
Toza, shown in her office at Raintree
Christian Church
his story begins with a small,
soft-spoken Texas child who
Twould, against all odds, grow
to master challenging goals and
touch the lives of people across a
variety of educational and economic
backgrounds. Few people have
survived the death of a parent
before their third birthday; married
the same man twice; attained
multiple university degrees; worked
30 years in public education; served
more than a decade as a church
administrator; touched the lives
of children, parents, faculty, and
staff; and assisted an organization
dedicated to the service of homeless
adults and children. It has been
said that “Dynamite comes in small
packages.” Standing less than five
feet tall as an adult, this individual
has been an example of hard work,
focused goals, and the desire to
impact others in positive and
powerful ways.
Toza Estes was the tiny, first-born
daughter and only child of Silas
Bailey and Mary Eula (Prudhomme)
12 Lubbock Senior Link
of an AMAZING
Toza Jones
by June Hogue
Estes, a young couple living in and graduation celebrations of
Beaumont, where Toza’s father their son, grandchildren, and great
worked as a welder in the shipping grandchild.)
industry. But Toza enjoyed the
privilege of two parents for only Toza’s dream was to become a
a short number of months. Her teacher, and her determination
mother would be taken from this exhibited the spirit which Wilma
life—due to a medical misdiagnosis Rudolph once voiced, “Never
leading to her death on January underestimate the power of dreams
7, 1951. Two-year-old Toza and and the influence of the human
her father moved to live with spirit. We are all the same in this
notion: The potential for greatness
her grandparents in Memphis, lives within each of us.” Toza
TX, until her father remarried. had that spirit. She completed a
From there, her journey took her bachelor’s degree at West Texas
to Clarendon, Tulia, and Canyon State University and later earned a
before making Lubbock her home. master’s degree and administrative
Toza’s resilient spirit, bright smile, certification through Texas Tech
friendly personality, and flexibility University. Toza began teaching
in adapting to new situations served in Lubbock ISD at Wheatley
her well as she moved through Elementary in 1972 where she
differing communities, a variety of taught third, fourth, and fifth grade
homes, and new roles—gaining new students. In 1975, she was assigned
friendships along the way. to the new Nat Williams Elementary
It was in Clarendon that she campus. Brad Henry once wrote, “A
met her high school sweetheart good teacher can inspire hope, ignite
Cecil Gene Jones, the only son of the imagination, and instill a love of
a ranching family who owned learning.” Toza excelled in making
property adjacent to the famous such things happen.
JA Ranch in the Panhandle. They
were married on October 9, 1965. Because of her successes in the
To this union, one son (Bryant classroom, Toza was asked to
Alan Jones) was born. (At a later become an LISD Demonstration
point in their life, Toza and Cecil Teacher working with new or
decided to pursue different paths; struggling educators in 1979. Later,
but throughout the 52 years that she was selected as a Reading/
followed, Toza and Cecil maintained Language Arts Coordinator for
the district. During those six years,
a friendly relationship as they she also coordinated the WRITE
attended the birthday, wedding,