Florence Rolene Moore was born on Christmas Day in 1921 in Terre Haute, Indiana to her parents, Rollie W. Moore and Dora E. King Moore. She was always known to friends and family members as Rolene.

In 1938, Rolene moved from Terre Haute to her family’s farm on State Road 246 west of Clay City. Following teaching stints in Illinois and distant Hoosier towns she returned to this small farm in the Eel River Bottom. Rolene lived happily on the farm for more than forty years.

As a young girl, she studied dance, and in high school, Rolene declared that she wanted to be a dramatist. In the end, she followed the footsteps of her mother and aunt and became a teacher.

Rolene graduated with Clay City High School Class of 1940. She enrolled at Eastern Illinois State Teachers College and began teaching before earning a Bachelor of Science degree. Rolene finished her undergraduate degree from Eastern Illinois in 1948. In 1958, she earned a Master of Science degree from Indiana State Teachers College.

During a forty-five year career in Education, Rolene taught elementary students at schools in rural Illinois, Richmond, Plainfield, Clay City, and Brazil. During her last appointment, a tenure of twenty-three years at Brazil’s Forest Park Elementary School, she taught special education students. She also mentored student teachers. Rolene retired in 1989. Her last service as a teacher – within a few years of her death – was as a volunteer with pre-school children in Clay City’s Head Start program.

Rolene treasured her associations with Alpha Delta Kappa, the international honorary sorority for outstanding women educators. In 2009, Rolene was recognized as a 50-year “golden sister” of Alpha Delta Kappa.

Rolene passed away in October of 2011. She left a monetary legacy to the Clay County Community Foundation. Her bequest included the establishment of three funds – the Roll and Dora King Moore Scholarship Fund for Clay City High School graduates preparing to work with mentally and/or physically inconvenienced persons; the Rolene Moore Scholarship Fund for college students studying to become teachers; and the Rolene Moore Fund to benefit the citizens of Clay City. Thanks to Rolene’s bequest, her life’s legacy as an educator will continue to live on forever.

Eligibility requires that:

• You are a graduate of a Clay County accredited high school and are a junior or
  senior college student.
• You must be admitted to the professional level of teacher preparation at any
  accredited college or university.