LUMBERTON — For nearly a decade Kim Branch gave to her kindergarten students at Rowland Norment Elementary School, and on Thursday she continued to give even in her death.

After a four-year battle with breast cancer, Branch died Sept. 3. Her dying wish was that, in lieu of flowers, book bags filled with school supplies be donated to her kindergarten homeroom class. What started out as a request for 18 book bags, turned into about 100 book bags and with school supplies, just enough for the entire kindergarten class at Rowland Norment Elementary School.

“It started out as something small, but once the news got out it blossomed into something beautiful,” Rowland Norment Principal Tara Bullard said.

Among the people who donated were teachers at Rowland Norment and Shining Stars Academy; members of Branch’s church, West Lumberton Baptist; and Gibson Cancer Center. Each book bag either had a pink ribbon in honor of breast cancer awareness or a message that read, “School supplies donated in loving memory of Kim Branch, a Dino-mite teacher at Rowland Norment Elementary School.”

Branch’s son, Josh Branch, and her husband, Alex Branch, and fellow teachers and school staff spent Thursday in the rain handing out the bags during a drive-through distribution event. Josh, who for the past three years followed in his mother’s footsteps volunteering at the school, and Alex said they felt that it was important to take part in the distribution.

“I’m just so overwhelmed,” Alex said. “So many of them (the students) didn’t have anything when she came, so this was something she at least wanted to be able to do for them.”

Kim started teaching kindergarten at Rowland Norment 10 years ago, but she had taught for the Public Schools of Robeson County for the previous 20 years, first as a substitute teacher. She continued to work at the school up until two weeks before her battle with cancer came to an end.

Her fellow teachers remembered the love that Branch had for teaching and her students, whom she affectionately referred to as her “little people.”

Fellow teacher Genia Stephens said she had known Kim since grade school, at Rowland Norment Elementary School, and described her as being a “very good-hearted, good-natured, wonderful woman,” who loved her school and home families.

“She was a very loving and nurturing teacher and loved the opportunity to be able to touch young children,” Stephens said.

Bullard said Kimberly was one of the first teachers she met when she came on board as principal three years ago. They developed a friendship that existed inside and outside the school.

“She was bubbly, spunky, spontaneous,” Bullard said. “You just never knew what would come out of her mouth.”

Kimberly’s teaching style was one favored by parents who often requested her class for their children, she said.

“She was probably one of my most dependable teachers,” she said. “When she came, she came in with a smile even if she felt bad.”