Mary L. Shelton Colby

For those sorority sisters that would like information on the proceeds from the sale of RACC rosters that I deposit with the Shasta College Trustee Scholarship Fund in my mother’s name (Mary L. Colby Memorial Scholarship), I submit the following.

Mother did not finish high school, she was married at sixteen. She took the GED test, passed it and in 1959 at the age of forty-nine completed the Licensed Vocational Nursing (LVN) program at Shasta College and received her state license in January 1960. She worked as an LVN at the Cascade Sanatorium until it closed and at Shasta Convalescent Hospital before ill health forced her to retire.

In 1958-59 school year, she was awarded the RACC Scholarship that was a City Council local Philanthropic project at that time. She was very pleased and thankful for the award and we, her children, were proud of her accomplishments. When she passed away in 1976 and her affairs were finalized, six of her eight children decided to establish a scholarship in her name. The scholarship was established with $1400.00 in 1979. It took two years to get it properly established and the first scholarship was awarded in 1982 in the amount of $200.00.

Since then the sale of the rosters in twenty-nine years has amounted to $4700.00 plus and scholarships have been made in the amount of $9,825.00. The award for 2011 was in the amount of $1000.00; largest given to date.

The interest only is expended each time a scholarship is awarded; a few years ago the school program was changed to eighteen months. Family and friends have contributed to the fund as well.

She would be proud of the scholarship and those who have received it. She attended many Mother’s Day events and was grateful to Beta Sigma Phi. Mother was a native California, born in Durham CA and lived most of her life in Shasta County.

Isabelle (Shelton) Petersen