The late Oseola McCarty's life wasn't always easy, but it was always full of dignity, simple living and faith. After leaving school in the sixth grade to care for an ailing aunt, she spent the next 75 years earning her living washing and ironing clothes, and saving her money. McCarty, who never married and who rarely left her home except for weekly trips to the grocery store, appeared on every major TV network and was written about in most national publications. She gained notoriety upon donating $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi. "I want to help somebody's child go to college," she said. Her gift endowed the Oseola McCarty Scholarship. "I'm too old to get an education, but they can." When asked about her ability to save so much money she says simply, "I didn't buy things I didn't need, The Lord helped me, and he'll help you, too. It's an honor to be blessed like that."

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