Bessie Gray an innovator and pioneer in early childhood education in Milwaukee

In 1952, Bessie M. Davis moved from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to Milwaukee, hoping to attend Marquette University and pursue a career in nursing.

When Marquette didn’t materialize, she switched gears and enrolled at Milwaukee Area Technical College. While waiting for the bus home, a young man approached Bessie, and they hit it off, leading to their marriage on March 1, 1953. Bessie was 19, and Percy Gray was 21.

Percy Gray worked at different foundries in the city, while Bessie dedicated her time to raising their family. Bessie Gray's passion for children and fascination with early childhood education ultimately motivated her to create Gray’s Child Development Center, a well-known child care facility which served the community for almost four decades.

Gray passed away peacefully on April 29, three days after celebrating her 90th birthday.

“My mother was not only committed to the children who attended her daycare facility, but she was also committed to the families as well, and she wanted to make sure the families were strong,” said Wanda Montgomery, her daughter and Brown Deer Village President.

Gray’s motto: ‘Where each child is somebody special’

At the time of her marriage, Bessie worked in a nursing home. The couple welcomed their first child, Felicia, in November of that year, and Wanda was born the following November.

In 1965, Gray embarked on her journey in early childhood education as a Head Start volunteer. Two years later, she was recruited by Northcott Neighborhood House to join their Head Start program. While collaborating with Margaret Henningsen, the esteemed director of Head Start programs in Milwaukee County, Gray discovered her passion for empowering children and their families.

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“My mother was working with Head Start and got pregnant with my youngest sister. She decided instead of returning to work, she would start her daycare center,” Montgomery said.

Armed with the motto “Where each child is somebody special,” Gray established a small daycare center in her north side home in 1973.

She believed every child should have access to quality, learning-oriented daycare regardless of background. This was especially important for children from low-income, single-parent, or foster homes.

When Bessie Gray operated her daycare, she prioritized family, according to U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, who sent her son Supreme Moore Omokunde to Gray's child care.

“I remember that first day of daycare, picking him up from the daycare and leaving the motor running on my car as I ran in to scoop him up,” Moore said.

Gray asked Moore to turn off her car and join her for a conversation about her son's day. Throughout their discussion, Gray shared the remarkable progress that Supreme had achieved and provided some helpful homework suggestions. Her approach to childcare centered on educating the child and supporting parents in teaching their children at home, Moore said.

“As a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, I reflect on this as the beloved village it takes to raise a child,” Moore said.

McArthur "Mac" Weddle, whose son attended in the late 1970s, said Gray had a knack for communicating with families.

“What I loved the most about Ms. Bessie Gray was our conversations. You could talk to her about anything. She gave us activities where we could work with our children at home. Stuff we never heard of before, but everything she told us worked,” said Weddle, the retired executive director of the Northcott Neighborhood House.

Weddle referred to Gray as a "Mother to many.”

"Her passing hurts me. I had already RSVP'd to attend her 90th birthday celebration, but we received the news that she was unwell,” he said.

She was a great help to many people and would often forgive those who could not afford to pay her, telling them to pay her back next time. This is a testament to the kind of person she was, Weddle said.

At its peak, Gray's child care business had 14 locations

Her journey into childcare was not an overnight success. In 1976, she obtained her bachelor's degree in early childhood education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She had been attending the school for 10 years. After graduation, she offered state-approved training courses and workshops for child care teachers. The courses aimed to equip teachers with the necessary skills to provide quality child care.

In 1980, she opened her second location, growing to 14 centers across Milwaukee County, providing food and transportation for needy families, including the four Milwaukee Area Technical College campuses.

By 1991, Gray’s had consolidated to one location at 6618 N. Teutonia Ave. to streamline its operations. The 105,000 square-foot facility, which the Catholic Church sold to Gray, required her and her children to quickly learn how to work boilers and radiators to keep the building warm.

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Three years later, Gray's would become the 48th program in the state to earn accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Gray was innovative in her approach to services. In 1998, she established a scholarship fund to help families with tuition payments for child care and school supplies.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Gray's, a childcare center, faced tough competition from for-profit childcare centers. By 2009, Gray’s started having financial problems as it got too costly to keep the lights and heat on in a large, older facility. Despite her promise to persevere, the facility shut down in 2011 when she was 74. Her husband had passed away the prior year.

Gray left a mark on thousands of families in Wisconsin

Although the facility closed its doors, Gray made a mark on thousands of families throughout southeastern Wisconsin.

During a recent hospital visit, a nurse recognized Gray's name and asked if she was the same Bessie Gray who operated Gray's Child Care. When Gray confirmed her identity, the nurse reminded her he had attended her childcare facility as a child. The two shared pleasant memories.

“My mother spent 70 years in Milwaukee, of which 40 were in childcare. She had a lot of stories,” Montgomery said.

In addition to Montgomery, Gray is survived by nine children: Felicia Bourrage, of Milwaukee; Percy Jr. of Jacksonville, Florida; Bryant of Corpus Christi, Texas; Mark of Milwaukee, Claudia of Milwaukee, Zachery of Milwaukee; Tammy Saffold of Milwaukee; Lasonia McGee, of Menomonee Falls; and a special daughter, Mildred Coby, of Brown Deer.

Visitation will be held from 9 -11 a.m. May 15 at Ebenezer Church of God in Christ Family Worship Center, 3132 N. Martin Luther King Drive. Services will be held at 11 a.m. at the church.

Reach James E. Causey at jcausey@jrn.com; follow him on X@jecausey.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bessie Gray operated a childcare facility for nearly four decades