Barbara L. Gigray Scholarship

Barbara Louise Anderson Gigray was born on Jan. 17, 1949, in Ontario, Oregon, to June and Harry Anderson. Her family lived in Nyssa for the first 3 years of her life then moved to Payette. Barbara graduated from Payette High School in May of 1967 and attended the College of Idaho and graduated in June, 1971, with a major in English Literature and Secondary Education. Barbara was proud of having graduated from the College of Idaho and was very pleased with its original name being restored in 2007. She died on November 19, 2007 during her second courageous battle against leukemia. Barbara began her teaching career in the Caldwell school system in the ‘80’s as a substitute teacher in the elementary grades. In 1983, she started teaching at Caldwell High School as a half time sophomore English teacher. Gradually that became a full time job teaching sophomore and junior English. Her teaching career was interrupted in 1992 for a year and half when she had her first battle with leukemia which she won with a successful bone marrow transplant. In the fall of 2000 at her request Barbara taught half time in order to spend part of her day babysitting her granddaughter Morgan, shopping, having lunch with friends, and playing bridge. She then resumed teaching full time again. Barbara served as the swim team advisor and as the English Department Chair. She retired in June of 2004 after some 20 years of teaching in the Caldwell School System. The students were an important part of her life, and she often struggled with what to do with those who “just didn’t care.” It was her wish that every one could and should get a good education. Barbara loved the color Purple and anything that had to do with the color--- lavender, lilac, magenta, purple….purple…purple.