From humble beginnings, Mrs. Bessie Clark Morant is continuing to influence a community that is ever-changing. She attended elementary school at Mary Thomas Church School in Hosston, Louisiana. In order to continue her educational pursuits, she traveled to Shreveport and attended Central Colored High School. This was a new and adventurous experience for a country girl living in a rooming house. She graduated in 1940, after playing basketball for the high school team. Aspiration for continuing her education took Mrs. Morant to Grambling College in Grambling, Louisiana.

She later attended Wiley College in Marshall, Texas.  Mrs. Morant provided private duty services in Hosston, Shreveport, and Houston. As her immediate family increased, the demands for more substantial employment also increased. In 1955, she started substitute teaching at Pine Valley Elementary School in Rodessa and Herndon High School in Belcher. Many young persons were touched by her stern focus on the three R’s(Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic).

The educational background along with marriage and family activities prepared Mrs. Morant for community outreach. In April of 1968, she was asked to take the position of Secretary at the Rodessa Neighborhood Service Center. During the latter part of 1968, she was promoted by the Caddo Community Action Program. She was an outreach worker at the Rodessa and Hosston Neighborhood Service Centers. In 1972, she was promoted to the position of Coordinator for the Rodessa Center. Mrs. Morant counseled and assisted many young adults with obtaining their first job and choosing a college. While raising six children of her own, she led the Rodessa Center in its many educational, social, and recreational activities.

The Center’s activities touched young and old members of the North Caddo Community. Mrs. Morant is a life-long member of the Colquitt Baptist Church in Mira. Giving and caring from the heart was natural for Mrs. Morant. At 95 years of age, she continues to touch many lives and has never driven an automobile,