Rosie Lee Small-Gregory was born and raised in Winona as the sixth child of Monroe & Lucy Bell Small. She completed her formal education at J.J. Knox High School. After graduation, Small-Gregory moved to Chicago, Illinois, and became a part of the labor force.
After some time, she moved back to Winona to take care of her mother & father who were in failing health. It was then when she developed a passion for caring for others. This passion led her to enroll in and graduate from the Holmes Community College Practical Nursing program in 1980.
During her 32-year tenure as a licensed practical nurse, Small-Gregory worked in a variety of health care settings which included hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and her favorite, a group home. Small-Gregory worked as an LPN until her last day on this earth. July 3, 2012. Small-Gregory was on her lunch break and suffered a pulmonary embolism.
Her caring and compassionate spirit is still alive in so many patients and families and her presence is truly missed. Therefore, her children, William K. Small and Dr. Keon M. Gregory, want to ensure that her spirit is eternal. This scholarship is presented to a well-deserved person who identifies as an African American, is from Montgomery County and who wishes to model her caring and compassionate spirit. This scholarship is a way for William and Keon to give to other families what their family had.
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