Throughout her life, Regina Griffin loved children, whether they were hers or not, and always reminded them to work hard toward their goals and be respectful of their elders.

Whenever a child's name appeared in the newspaper - if he or she made the honor roll, for example - she called with words of encouragement to keep up the good work, said Yolande Dickerson, one of her six children.

"She just loved children," Dickerson said of her mother, known affectionately as "Miss Regina."

"Anytime a child graduated, she sent them a card. And she was always campaigning for something in Pumphrey. She...