| Ms. Gracie Sims
of Compton, Arkansas was a cooperative observer for the National Weather Service for
25 years. She measured rainfall and mailed her measurements to the National
Weather Service at the end of each month. These measurements were sent to the National
Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina and eventually published to become a
part of the permanent record of the world's weather. Sadly, Ms. Sims passed away
in 2004. For her dedication, the National Weather Service awarded her
daughter Shirley a 25
Year Length-of-Service Award on October 1, 2004. Shirley Sims is now
the official observer for the Compton area, and was given a Special
Service Award for continuing to watch the weather...something her family
has done faithfully for 44 years.
 |
In the picture to left: Ms. Gracie Sims
(left) of Compton holds a 20 Year Length-of-Service Award from the National Weather
Service in 1999. She is pictured with her daughter Shirley (right). They are standing
in front of the old Sims Short-Stop in Compton. |
Gracie Sims took over observing duties from her
husband (Jonah) in 1979 when he passed away. He had taken observations in the area since
1960. In recent years, Shirley Sims has assisted her mother...and has
performed admirably.
| In the picture to
right: Ms.
Shirley Sims
(left) of Compton holds a 25 Year Length-of-Service Award and a Special
Service Award from the National Weather Service on October 1,
2004. She is pictured with Jimmy Russell (right), the Data
Acquisition Program Manager (DAPM) at the National Weather Service
in Little Rock. |
 |
Shirley Sims runs the
family business (Sims Short-Stop) in Compton which has been around since the early 1900s.
 |
In the picture to
left: Ms.
Shirley Sims
(left) of Compton shows how proud she is to be a cooperative observer for
the National Weather Service. |
|
www.weather.gov
