Gwendolyn Welters

It is said that with age comes wisdom, and, if that is indeed true Gwendolyn M. Heastie Welters is an embodiment of eight decades of wisdom. At 84 years young, this energetic, enthusiastic, gracious and most positive lady has the look, spunk of someone twenty years her junior.

The only child of Raymond Curtis Heastie and Lena Ann Bodie Heastie, both Bahamian immigrants, Mrs. Welters made her grand entrance at the family home on April 30, 1924. She became her parents’ pride and joy. The first twenty-seven years of Mrs. Welter’s life was spent in the culturally rich and family centered Overtown community of that era. Family, religion and education were among the highly valued institutions of her youth. Mrs. Welters and her family attended St. Agnes Episcopal Church, a hub for community events and projects. Through the church many parents obtained their United States citizenship. Community youth were also exposed to such specialized instruction as piano lessons and oratory. The Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) Project was conducted at the church, assisting persons affected by the Great Depression with jobs and training. Mrs. Welters fondly remembers attending high school athletic events at Dorsey Park, once nicknamed “the Dust Bowl.” She also recalls trips to the once “all black” Virginia Key Beach, and the beautiful Hampton House, a hotel and apartment complex for “Negroes,” prior to integration. She attended segregated schools, Dunbar Elementary and Booker T. Washington Senior High and graduated at age 15. Mrs. Welters remembers studying from “Used” text books as a student, but was not deterred by them because her teachers’ standards were high and students were expected to excel. She believes her school experiences were enriched by the nurture and encouragement of caring teachers and her participation in numerous extracurricular programs such as the newspaper staff and the business club to name a few.

During the periods between 1929 and 1943, Mrs. Welter’s new home was Florida A&M College for Negroes (now Florida A&M University), graduating in 1943 with a B.S. degree in Business Education. While there she became a member of her beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the first sorority for black women. During her college years World War II was in progress, an event which claimed many male college friends who were called to active duty. Most were later granted their college degrees. Mrs. Welters earned a Master’s Degree in 1962, from Columbia University, Teachers College, New York. She did further graduate work at the University of Miami and Barry University, Miami.

On June 30, 1946, Mrs. Welters was joined in holy matrimony with Warren Welters at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. The couple became the loving parents of four children including one step daughter. Mrs. Welters’ husband, (now deceased) was a registered pharmacist who owned and operated Brownsville Pharmacy, a friendly neighborhood business for 46 years. Because of her husband’s passion for his profession, two of their children, a son and a daughter, saw him as a perfect role model and followed his example to also become pharmacists. Through their pharmacy the Welters’ were able to assist many neighborhood high school students with employment opportunities, Mrs. Welters states that, “The store provided an important service to our community.”

Mrs. Welters’ illustrious educational career spanned 40 years, starting at Douglass Elementary as a secretary and eventually a teacher. She taught at Bethune Elementary and later integrated the faculty at West Lab Elementary School under the mentorship of Dr. Glenn Thomas; as a PLATS instructor at J. W. Johnson Elementary; served as an Administrative Assistant at Westview Elementary and retired in 1983 as an Assistant Principal from Royal Palm Elementary.

The numerous and varied experiences rendered her a woman with a big helping heart and generous spirit. Throughout her life Mrs. Welters has been a community involved woman. She is currently a Golden Soror and Life Member and past president of a local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; a charter member of 58 years and past president of the MRS Club, a social group of “married” friends. She is an Alumna and Platinum member and former chapter of The Links, Incorporated, an international volunteer organization of women which embodies friendship and service. Through the organization she has had the opportunity of visiting Africa five times. This organization has funded the construction of clean water wells, the building of schools and various other village improvements. Mrs. Welters also served as National Director, International Trends and Services for this organization and she was a “Links of Gold” Honoree, Greater Miami Chapter, October 2005. She is an active member of the Black Archives History and Research Foundation, Inc., where she serves on both the Board of Trustees and Directors and is currently first vice chair of the Board of Directors. This group assists annually with planning the “Happy Birthday Miami” celebration, and provides a booklet about Miami’s history to children. A recipient of numerous awards and honors, in 2006, Mrs. Welters was honored as a Miami-Dade County Woman of Impact; in 2007, she was the recipient of the Miami-Dade Branch, NAACP, Leroy Thompson Pioneer Award.

She encourages youth to be community minded. Her philosophy is to work hard to leave the world a better place than she found it. With this as her mantra, this petite little “giant” of a woman gives us much to immolate.

-AT&T Miami-Dade County African-American History Calendar, 2009-1010