Murphy – “Nora came over on her way to the Winter Formal so I could see her pretty dress. The last thing I said to her date was, ‘You can have fun without being stupid.’ Within an hour, she was dead.”
Like many people in the community, Bob Massey was taken by Nora Starks’ composure and compassion for just a 17-tear-old girl.
“She was one of those kids who wouldn’t say ‘mud’ if she had a mouthful,” Massey said. “We’d ride horses together, and in those conversations I realized she was ahead of her time.”
Massey saw Starks as an example of the Rotary Club’s slogan, “Service above self.” Her mother – Janet Drew, a gentle soul herself – agrees.
“Nora was compassionate and very determined,” she said.
Starks was an active member of Little Brasstown Baptist Church when a mission team told children at vacation Bible school about the need for a fresh water well in Kenya. Starks took the project on as her own, and soon the church had raised enough money to build that well.
Tragically, Starks died in an automobile accident just a month before it was completed.
“That following summer, the village dedicated the well to Nora,” Drew said. “They planted a tree with a plaque just beside it.”
That would have been that had Massey not been so inspired by Starks and the way she lived her life. He wanted to carry on Nora’s legacy by advancing her dream of wells in Africa. After exhaustive research, Massey partnered with LifewaterCanada.
“I chose (them) because not only do they put 98 cents of every donated dollar toward the project, but they also involve the villagers to help so they’ve got some skin in the game,” Massey said.
The partnership was successful, but one well was not going to satisfy Massey’s mission. As a member of the Rotary Club, he wanted to invite the international organization to join him.
“It became my pet project,” he said, but his goal of having a well built once a year was pricey. “It costs $5,000 to build a well.”
Rotary had a district grant of $2,500, but Massy would have to join forces with other clubs to make up the difference. But his desire was not quenched.
“I’d like to see it go on forever,” he said.
Drew was thrilled when Massey approached her with his idea.
“I know Nora is up there saying, ‘Yeah! Yeah!’ ” she said.
Starks’ mother is moved by the project.
“Nora would be truly humbled and grateful, and in awe that so many people would band together. Nora would be excited and thrilled to know,” Drew said. After a moment, she added, “I’m sure she does know.”
For details about Wells for Nora, email Massey at sarahtleatham@gmail.com or call 828-606-1740. Donations can be sent via check to Rotary Club of Murphy, P.O. Box 846, Murphy, NC 28906. Put “Wells for Nora” on the memo line.