Earnestine Ranson Kinchen was laid to rest on April 17 after she died in her sleep in her Baker home on April 10.
Kinchen was found by Baker Police Department authorities after friends had noticed that she had not begun her morning routines. Junior Division co-workers agree that she was the type of woman that would always come to work early and seldom missed work.
The 59-year old Vicksburg, Miss. native graduated from Southern University in 1965. She began working at Southern in 1968 and was currently an assistant reading professor.
She was preceded in death by her husband Earl and leaves behind numerous family members and close friends.
According to the dean of Junior Division and close friend C. Norman St. Amant. Ph.D., “K”, as she was affectionately referred to, made it a point to get to know the children and was always there for them to provide counsel and guidance.
“She was a rare individual,” St. Amant said. “You sometimes wonder if some people had found their ‘nitch’ and in retrospect, she had found hers in educating children.”
Students on campus are saddened by the sudden and unexpected loss. To some, she was a mother figure when students were away from home.
“Mrs. Kinchen was a very special person,” former SU alum Vanessa Harris-Adams said. “She honestly cared about the students and she made sure that all of the students that she came across were taken care of-educationally and with motivation. No one could compare to her.”
St. Amant shared the same belief. He said that it felt funny with her not being there and he is still in shock.
“People ask how do you replace someone like ‘K’,” St. Amant said. “You don’t…you can’t.”
