Ella Mae Davis Selmon was born at Lallie Kemp Hospital in Independence, LA on November 23, 1944. She came home to Covington where two older brothers and two older sisters were waiting for her. It is in this part of Covington that Ella grew up, attended Rosenwald School, and went on to live and work in this same area for all of her 74 years.
It was at Rosenwald School where one of her fondest memories is of her favorite teacher, Ms. Rawls, who taught her English. She still remembers how finely dressed Ms. Rawls was every day with heels, stockings, and lipstick. Her professionalism impressed young Ella.
At age 20, Ella married Edward Selmon and together they raised two children.
Their son, Antonio Paul, graduated from CHS and went on to a career in the Army. Antonio’s daughter Candace graduated from Slidell High. Ella and Edward’s daughter Jennette graduated from CHS in 1979 and went on to spend seven years in the Navy, finally settling down in Baltimore, Maryland.
Ella’s first job was as a School Crossing Guard right in her Rosenwald neighborhood where she had attended school. After this job, Ella began substitute teaching but did not care for being inside very much, so she began substituting as a bus driver, especially on her husband Edward’s school bus. She was a substitute bus driver for 17 years. Eventually, she got her own Special Ed bus and began transporting special needs students for 13 years until she retired.
While Ella is officially retired, she has not slowed down one bit. She is a proud member of her neighborhood church, the Mount Zion Pilgrim Missionary Church, and has attended their annual convention in cities from Texas to Florida for many years. She has been a Sunday School teacher and is still an active member of the choir, even though she admits her singing voice is not the best!
All of these things have made Ella an important member of her Covington neighborhood. But this is not all she does! She is a regular participant in the Jail Ministry where she shares Bible Lessons with interested female prisoners. Ella is a regular volunteer at the Northshore Food Bank and often walks across the street to volunteer at the Covington Boys and Girls Club.
She is an important member of the St. Tammany Parish Fair Association, as well as a board member of the Covington Housing Authority. Other board positions include the Covington Civil Service Board, and the Covington Tree Board.
And she does all of this without any expectation of payment or praise. Her volunteering comes from the heart. When asked if she did anything for her own pure enjoyment, she said she reads the First Baptist Church Daily Lessons and the devotional books Daily Guideposts.
Speaking of books, in Ella’s “spare time,” she admits that she is busy writing a book detailing her years growing up in the sleepy little Southern town that Covington was some 70 years ago. While she has not divulged the name of the book yet, I think we can all agree it will be a big hit!
Ella’s tireless energy and boundless volunteering to improve the community where she grew up defines the term Hometown Hero. When asked what she would like to put on her Bucket List, Ella responded that she wished she had a beautiful singing voice. My guess is the Lord hears only beautiful music when Ella sings!
