The family of Lenora White Callis, Edinburg's first African American nurse, is sharing her story as her legacy is celebrated by the community she served.

Lenora cared for patients for more than 10 years at Grandview Hospital in Edinburg in the mid-1950s. The hospital was not segregated at the time.

Her son, Clarence Callis, spoke with Channel 5 News at the historic Restlawn Cemetery in Edinburg, where much of his family is buried.

"Half of my mother's family is here. Three uncles, an aunt, my grandparents, my parents, a brother, a sister," Clarence Callis said.

He described his mother as someone whose care went beyond her work at the hospital.

"She was an engaging person, very community-minded, very helpful, because she saw a lot of people in their worst times at the hospital," Callis said.

Clarence also recalled a time when his mother took in a baby whose father wanted nothing to do with the child and whose mother was ill.

"The husband didn't want to have anything to do with the child, and the lady was ill," Callis said. "So while her family helped take care of her, my mother took care of the baby at our house and we grew attached to the baby, but after a few months, the baby went with her mother."

The Museum of South Texas History says Grandview Hospital closed its doors in 1968, the same year Lenora died of cancer.

Clarence said he was the last family member to see her before she passed.

"The night before she died, I spent it in the hospital with her, so I was the last one of her family to see her," Callis said. "That is something that to this day is still on my mind."

He said he was heartbroken when the hospital was torn down.

"I was devastated when I found out they tore down Grandview, because it was basically the place where I grew up," Callis said.

Voices of the Past co-organizer Dr. Raymond Howard said Lenora's story stands out because of the era she lived in.

Howard said stories like Lenora's help preserve local history while inspiring future generations.

Clarence said he hopes his mother's example keeps doing exactly that.

"And if it encourages someone and helps them to be a better person, that's good," Callis said.

Watch the video above for the full story.