Priscilla Heard was born in Malvern, Arkansas on Aug. 6, 1919. That means she has lived 104 years — and she couldn’t be happier.
”I’m feeling fine,” Heard said. “I didn’t know it was an exciting day, but I'm trying.”
After spending the majority of her early childhood Memphis, Tennessee, and graduating from Rhodes College at 20-years-old, she met her husband L.P. Heard while serving with the Red Cross during WWII.
”It seemed like a good thing to do,” Heard said.
“You wanted to take part to help the men, and it just seemed like the right thing to do.”
After getting married and moving to Belton in 1947, she took her lifelong love for the piano and shared it with the community.
”I played the piano. People kept calling me and asking me to teach their children, and I loved them,” Heard said.
“I thought they were fun.”
She turned those lessons into a career, and after earning a masters degree in music from Baylor University, she taught at Temple College — keeping the private lessons going for decades.
”It would have to be almost 80 years,” said Priscilla's daughter, Rachel Heard.
“Her last student when she was 96-years-old. When she arrived in Belton in 1947, she got her first students.”
Given the fact that teaching piano was a family tradition, it’s no surprise that her daughter has followed in her footsteps.
”It just came very naturally,” Rachel Heard said.
“I should also say that her mother taught piano, and my great grandmother taught piano, so we are four generations of piano teachers.”
Now she is surrounded by friends, family and former students as she celebrates over a century of leaving a lasting impact on her community.
”I feel like it’s an amazing privilege, because I have been happy and healthy, and I've had a wonderful family,” Heard said.
The City of Temple was in attendance to present her with an official proclamation honoring her life and contributions.
Pricilla Heard is also the great, great, great, great, great, grandniece of former president George Washington.
