Sarah Moore Greene will go down in East Tennessee history as a civil rights leader and a woman who fought for an education for everyone.
She passed away last Wednesday at the age of 102.
The state's governor made a special trip to Knoxville to help remember a woman he says called his office a lot when he was mayor.
"She always started the conversation this way, 'I'm not calling for myself,' and the truth was, she never was. She called a lot to the mayor's office, but she never called for herself," said Governor Bill Haslam.
Friends and family of Sarah Moore Greene attended a memorial service honoring the life of the civil rights pioneer.
Among the mourners paying tribute to the long-time educator was a current Tennessee lawmaker who had Ms. Greene as his kindergarten teacher.
"She looked at the person and said, 'How can I make that person's life better? How can I make a difference in their life?' and she has definitely made a difference in a lot of people's lives, especially mine," said Representative Joe Armstrong.
"She was my direction; she was my enthusiasm. She gave me what I needed to be what I am today, which is an honest person. But my aunt, I can't say enough. She has been a beacon and a guiding light for everybody in Knoxville, beyond Knoxville," said Bobby Miller, Greene's nephew.
The funeral is Tuesday morning at 11:00 at Greater Warner Ame Zion Church. The burial will follow.