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Mary Goins Roots Collection, MSS 07-26, Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library
Donated by Daphne Roots in August 2018 and July 2021
Chris Barbuschak, 2020, updated October 2023
EAD generated by Ross Landis, 2023
Mary Katherine Goins was born on April 22, 1939, to Annie and James M. Goins in Fairfax, Virginia. She grew up in Sideburn, Virginia, graduated from Luther Jackson High School in 1957, and attended St. Paul’s College where she met her husband William Thomas Roots. After graduating in 1961, she and Roots married in November 1961 at Little Zion Baptist Church in Burke.
She began her thirty-two-year teaching career with Fairfax County Public Schools in 1961, first teaching at Eleven Oaks Elementary School in Fairfax. In 1978, she received a Masters in Education from George Mason University and went on to serve as a human relations officer, vice-principal, and principal at several Fairfax County elementary schools until retiring in 1993. She came out of retirement to serve as a principal for Charles County Public Schools in Maryland for another six years. In 1998, she earned the Washington Post Distinguished Educator Award for her time at Eva Turner Elementary School in Waldorf, Maryland.
Her husband, William T. Roots, died on March 12, 2016. Mary Roots passed away at age 78 in Woodbridge, Virginia on October 21, 2017. They are both buried in the family burial ground at the Jack and Lizzy Pearson Cemetery in Burke, Virginia.
The Mary Goins Roots Collection consists of 8.5 linear feet and spans the years 1858-2017 and consists of family papers, correspondence, programs, yearbooks, awards and certificates, vital records, newspaper articles, identification badges and cards, obituaries, photographs, photo albums, a scrapbook, property records, yearbooks, and other school ephemera. Subjects covered are Mary Goins Roots, her family, and her ancestors including the Coffer, Goins, Jeffrey, Pearson and Wright families, the Sideburn Civic Association, Greater Little Zion Baptist Church, and Fairfax County Public Schools, and Charles County Public Schools.
Series 1: Mary Goins Roots, 1954-2017, Boxes 1-4 and 13
Arranged alphabetically, this series contains personal records for Mary Goins Roots. Included are awards and certificates, correspondence, documents, by-laws, resumes, newspaper articles, yearbooks, programs, photographs, family genealogy notes, an identification card, and an embroidered patch. Subjects primarily consist of Roots’ education at St. Paul’s College and George Mason University, and her career with Fairfax County and Charles County Public Schools.
Series 2: William T. Roots, 1951-2016, Box 4
Arranged alphabetically, this series contains materials from Mary Goins Roots’ husband, William T. Roots. Included are awards and certificates, correspondence, papers, military records, photographs, and a student identification badge from St. Paul’s College. Subjects covered are Roots’ education including certificates from Concord School in Roseville, Virginia; Walker-Grant Elementary School in Fredericksburg, Virginia; and Walker-Grant High School. Documents also pertain to Roots’ career with the United States Air Force; Giant Food; the Engineering and Maintenance Division at National Airport; and Prince William County Crossing Guard Bureau.
Series 3: Coffer, Goins, Jeffrey, Pearson, and Wright Families, 1915-2011, Boxes 4-5
Arranged alphabetically by name, this series includes documents from Mary Goins Roots’ ancestors and relatives consisting of the Coffer, Goins, Jeffrey, Pearson, and Wright families. Included are vital records, death certificates, obituaries, funeral programs and guest books, correspondence, certificates and awards, newspaper articles, identification cards, and a report card. Of particular note are materials from James M. Goins, Mary Roots’ father and known locally as “The Godfather of Zion Drive”. As a community leader he was instrumental in bringing improvements to the Sideburn, Virginia community including sewer and water hook-ups, the David R. Pinn Memorial Civic and Recreation Center, recreational facilities, and the Goins Manor subdivision.
Series 4: Property Records, 1969-2012, Box 6
Arranged alphabetically, this series contains property records from the Roots, Goins, Jeffrey, and Wright families. Included are correspondence, deeds, and legal and financial records.
Series 5: Sideburn Civic Association, 1963-1989, Box 7
Arranged alphabetically, this series includes bylaws, correspondence, programs, financial information, photographs, speeches, and other paperwork relating to the Sideburn Civic Association. Mary Roots’ father, James M. Goins was the group’s president. The Black non-profit civic association was formed with the purpose to upgrade the community of Sideburn, provide recreational facilities, and promote and protect the civic and community interests of its residents. Documents in this series cover activities of the group including annual dinners and the David R. Pinn Memorial Civic and Recreation Center.
Series 6: Noble Lodge No. 9627 Grand United Order of Odd Fellows of America, 1921-1922, Box 7
This series contains correspondence and fundraising paperwork for the construction of an Odd Fellows Hall in Sideburn, Virginia. Established on August 14, 1915, the Noble Lodge No. 9627 Grand United Order of Odd Fellows of America was based in Sideburn, Virginia. Fundraising paperwork includes signed pledges by those supporting the construction of the hall.
Series 7: Church Activities, 1956-2016, Box 8
Arranged alphabetically, this series contains church directories, histories, program booklets, funeral programs, and newspaper clippings. Mary Roots and her family were long-time members of Greater Little Zion Baptist Church in Burke, Virginia.
Series 8: Publications, 1858-1946, Boxes 9 and 12
Arranged chronologically, this series contains a book and periodicals collected by the family. Of particular note is a 1941 booklet commemorating the Fairfax County Colored Citizens Association's 13th anniversary which provides a detailed history and timeline of their accomplishments.
Series 9: Photographs and Albums, 1935-2011, Boxes 5-10
Arranged alphabetically, this series contains photographs, photo albums, paintings, drawings, and a photo scrapbook. Images depict Mary Goins Roots’ family, ancestors, and friends, Fairfax County and Charles County Public Schools, Greater Little Zion Baptist Church, and Sideburn, Virginia. Most of the photographs depict individuals, events, farms, and houses. Many photographs are unidentified.
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Financial and private documents were discarded. Willow Springs Elementary and Greenbriar West Elementary School yearbooks were removed and added to the Virginia Room’s yearbook collection.