Thomas E. Marshall III (1915–2014) wrote, at age 96, “I am indebted to [Crozet High School teacher] ‘Miss Minnie’ Jarman Knobloch (1872–1960) for everything I have been able to accomplish in life.” One must realize that those accomplishments included his work for 31 years as a civilian engineer for the Naval Weapons Lab and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.
Regarding Miss Minnie’s influences, Tom’s younger brother John Q. Marshall (1918–2018), a successful business owner, concurred, each of the brothers recalling the simple c.1812 log house they lived in on their father’s apple and peach orchard north of Crozet, and the long walk or horseback ride required to get to Crozet School each day.
“Mother made Tom go to school,” John said to this writer in 2011, “and he would walk. When the snow got too deep, he couldn’t make it, and he would come back and complain to Mother, and Mother wouldn’t accept that. She would say, ‘Go get Casey (the fellow who helped us on the farm). Get Nellie (our horse), and bridle and saddle her, and y’all go to school.’ So, they did. Casey was smart enough to stay away from the road where the drifts were and they made it.”…