Lura Eyestone

Lura Eyestone (1872-1965) was an educator and author. She both attended and worked at Illinois State Normal University. The Eyestone School in Normal, Illinois, honors her contributions to education.

Early life Lura was born on October 14, 1872, in Bloomington, Illinois. Her parents were Theodore Riley and Martha (Liston) Congleton. She had three sisters named Letha, Cora, and Dora. Letha, however, was born to Elizabeth Liston, Martha's older sister, given that Theodore was married to her at one point as well. Theodore worked as a police officer in the community, but eventually resigned and moved to Indiana in 1874.

Career Lura's first teaching occupation was at Rose Hill School in Normal (now known as the Eyestone School). This was a one-room schoolhouse.

During her time with ISNU, she was also pursuing her own higher education. She was also heavily involved in the lives of her students, wanting to provide more for them than strictly academics. For instance, she coordinated a musical performance alongside one of her training teachers in 1938, her last year of teaching. Lura also embarked on a field trip to Guatemala and around the Caribbean in 1937 under guidance of Dr. Clarence F Jones of Clark University, which enhanced her cultural knowledge to offer more to her students. This was reported in the local newspaper, The Vidette, at the time, due to the rarity and excitement of the situation, especially given her position as an educator.

Lura was also very student-centered in her teaching style. For example, she used students’ stories to craft her teaching material. These materials ranged from a variety of subjects, such as health, nature, music, geography, and art.

In addition to her educational feats, Lura published several works. She firstly began submitting work to the Practical School Journal in 1907. This was officially dedicated in her name in 1965 as a part of the Normal Centennial Celebration. She requested any condolences be shared in the form of donations to either the Baby Fold or the construction of Wesley Church.

She is buried at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Bloomington, Illinois, along with her adoptive parents.