Earlene Royston Boosts Prescott/Nevada County Library Collection with New Book Donation

The Prescott/Nevada County Library has received a generous contribution of inspirational children’s books from hometown community member Earlene Reynolds Royston. Her donation includes titles celebrating groundbreaking women and their achievements, such as The Power of Her Pen by Lesa Cline-Ransome, Little Leaders: Bold Women in History by Vashti Harrison, Stitch by Stitch by Connie Schofield-Morrison, Flying Free by Karyn Parsons, The Story of Katherine Johnson by Andrea Thorpe, She Led the Way by Suzanne Curtis Briggs, Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed, and The Oldest Student by Rita Lorraine Hubbard.

Earlene Reynolds Royston lived by the mantra “love is an action word!” She lived a life full of action. She learned as a member of a family, you show up and help out when needed. At an early age, her mother had to go to work and that left Earlene in charge of running the house. She looked after her two younger siblings, she cooked and cleaned, and kept her family’s home running smoothly from 9 years of age until she graduated at the top of her class from McRae High School in Prescott, Arkansas. During her high school years, she worked in the school library. Her time spent in the library helped to nurture her lifelong love for reading, learning, and personal growth. She loved to read, especially the Bible, and she was always jotting down her thoughts and feelings in journals. She loved words and had a way of using words to motivate and encourage people to be self-sufficient and independent. Her bible is filled with hand written questions, comments, and words she wanted to define later. Literacy was her passion.

Earlene married Buford L Royston in 1955. She took her role as a military wife very seriously. She was very proud of his service in the United States Air Force. His service was her service. Her actions as a young child prepared her as a young woman to run a household. As a military wife, she had to hold down the fort here in Prescott, Arkansas while her husband was stationed overseas. Earlene was not a passive housewife. She was active at her children’s school and in their extra-curricular activities. In 1967, she integrated the Girl Scout troop in Prescott, Arkansas by enrolling her young daughter. Her daughter was the first African American Brownie in the small town.

  Upon Buford’s return from overseas, the young family traveled together, and served within the United States and abroad while raising 5 children. She taught each of her children to read and write before they started school. Her belief in that the first teacher a child has is his or her parent is another example of her taking action. She did not sit back and wait for things to happen. Earlene acted. When she wanted to learn the piano, she didn’t let the fact that her family didn’t own a piano stop her. She drew out a keyboard and practiced her finger placement on that paper until one day she would perform in three piano recitals!

Her drive to be present and active in this world is also evident in her children who became a Girl Scout Leader/foster mom, a published author/RN, a teacher/homemaker, a soldier in the USAF, and a corporate supervisor.

Earlene had many roles in this life, but the most important role for her was being a Christian. She led her entire life with the drive of leading a life that was pleasing to the Lord.

At birth we are each assigned a number. In death, it is the same. Earlene’s numbers are 11/12/1936 – 01/14/2024. My hope is that this synopsis of her life helped to fill in the dash.

This donation continues the Royston family’s commitment to promoting literacy, with Earlene’s husband, Buford L. Royston, previously donating books aimed at encouraging young boys to read. Their contributions serve as an invaluable resource for young readers, sparking curiosity and inspiration through stories of resilience and achievement.