Corrie Anna Doherty
Corrie Anna Doherty, 70, died at dawn on Easter Sunday morning, April 16, 2017 at Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo. She was born in Nashville, Tennesee on March 17, 1947 to John Cowan Elliott and Ann Bellenger.
Corrie spent her early years in Gadsden, Alabama, until leaving for college in 1965. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Alabama where she also obtained her teaching certificate. She and her husband Henry were invited by Millard Fuller, Founder of Habitat for Humanity to join Koinonia Partners in South Georgia, a community involved in building low cost housing and creating jobs through its nine small industries. They went there in 1969.
There, she taught at the day care center and applied for a teaching position in Sumter County. She was refused a job because of her association with black persons. She filed a Federal lawsuit against the school board of Sumter County, for discrimination in hiring, and won the lawsuit in the Middle District of Georgia, under the jurisdiction of Federal Judge Wilbur Owens.
The judge ordered the school board to give her the next job vacancy.
In the meantime, she was a substitute teacher at Plains High School, President Jimmie Carter’s alma mater. She also taught an adult Bible study class for adults at Koinonia.
Corrie, a long-time citizen of Alpine and Presidio, taught for fifteen years in Presidio and substituted at all three Alpine schools. She truly loved her students and the faculty members of these schools.
One of Corrie’s favorite jobs was helping her husband build houses for the poor around the world.
She enjoyed mixing cement and handing much rebar to her husband as he designed and built houses in thin shell ferrocement, which eventually caught worldwide attention.
Entertaining guests was one of her favorite tasks and she touched thousands of lives before coming to Alpine. She emjoyed many trout fishing trips, mainly in Arizona.
Corrie is survived by her brothers George of Forida, Johnny of Alabama, her children, Cahty of Phoenix, Arizona, William of Alpine, and Henry, her husband of almost 50 years. Corrie was one of the cofounders of St. Luke’s Missionary Episcopal Church in 1997, and was treasurer of the church up until her death.
Her official Memorial Service will be held at St. Luke’s Missionary Episcopal Church at 1102 North Fifth Street in Alpine at 3pm on Saturday, May 20. Everyone is welcome, especially her students and many friends from Alpine, Presidio, Marfa, and Fort Davis.
She will be missed by many whom she dearly loved.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Luke’s and mailed to the treasurer at P.O. Box 103, Alpine, Texas 79831.