Josephine Delphine Henderson Heard Heard Biography

While very young, Josie, as she was called, exhibited many talents. She could read at age five, and was the delight of many neighbors and friends, gladly reading Bible Scriptures to them. She received her education in Charolette schools, excelling all the way through. Her reports and high credits earned her entry into the Scotia Seminary at Concord, North Carolina. Her desire to understand life on a higher plain, caused her to remain at the Seminary for several years. She later earned access to Bethany Institute, New York, passing with honors.

Josephine remained in New York giving birth to her teaching career. She went on to the State of South Carolina, at Maysville, Orangeburg and finally to Tennessee, at Covington, near Memphis.

At age 20 she met the Rev. W.H. Heard who worked for the U.S.R. Mail Service. Reveend Heard was also prestigiously Presiding Elder of the Lancaster District, Philadelphia Conference. They were married after she turned twenty-one in 1882.

It was evident that Mrs. Heard was fond of poetry. Literature of all kinds fasinated her. The Reverends Benj Tucker Tanner, B. W. Arnett, and many other friends suggested she devote more time to it. Mrs. Josephine Delphine Heard wrote many verses from "divine inspiration", she claimed.

Josephine Delphine also exhibited musical talents, having composed and written a piece of music which was played at the New Orleans Exposition, which garnered much comment from the Democratic Press of the South. She passed away at the age of 60 in 1921.