Mary Phoebe Enders Willis

She was born in Catonsville, MD on April 4, 1906 to Grace Hubner Enders and Reverend Martin Luther Enders. She had one older sister, Grace, and two younger brothers, Martin and John. She is the mother of 5 sons (Mac, John, Bill, Mark, Joe), 15 grandchildren, and 32 great grandchildren, with 2 more to come! She is also my godmother. A grand party is being held to celebrate this remarkable centenarian on April 8th at 1106 Princess Anne Street in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Grandma went to Sargent College in Boston, MA from 1922-25 and graduated with honors. She moved to Fredericksburg and taught at Mary Washington College from 1925 until she married. She was probably 25 at the time this photo was taken. She lived in the Heflin Apartments while she was teaching and bought a blue Model "A" Ford in 1926, the 2nd car in Fredericksburg, with her modest salary of $150-200 per month. She taught physical education, basketball, calesthenics, and possibly dance. The students wore nautical middies - long shorts, sailor tops and long socks. Grandma loved to dance and said she may have pursued it as a career if she had not married.

She met Grandaddy at a dance at the Country Club and remembers she wore a white dress with diamond-like stars on it. When Grandaddy proposed to her, he brought her a Killarney Rose, which his mother Deedee (Edna Elizabeth Harris) planted and grew on the fence in the backyard at 1105 Princess Anne Street. Grandma was married to Jere Malcolm Harris Willis in Baltimore on June 20, 1931, at the First Lutheran Church by her father, the Reverend Martin Luther Enders. There was a breakfast reception afterwards to which the congregation was invited to the church building. She wore a gold satin 2-piece suit for the wedding and also for their 50th wedding anniversary in Fredericksburg, June 1981.

The newlyweds lived at 1105 Princess Anne Street with Grandaddy's parents, BP (Benjamin Powell Willis) and Deedee, before moving to 1015 Charles Street in 1933. The Willis family has occupied or owned that house ever since. When Deedee passed away in 1941, Grandma and Grandaddy moved back to 1105 Princess Anne Street to help care for BP Willis. Catesby Willis then moved to 1015 Charles Street, as she did not want to live in a home with three young boys (Mac, John and Bill). The Charles Street house was later occupied by Mark & Jo Love and Cory & Ric. Mac and Barbara Willis recently rennovated the home and now reside there.

Up until recently, Grandma has been very active reading, writing letters (and beautifully crafted ones at that!), walking to church and working in the garden. She has a fondness for chocolate and sweets and always makes sure the cookie tin is well stocked. As a child, I remember the glass elephant in the livingroom being filled with chocolate kisses, jelly beans or some other sweet, and you were always welcome to help yourself. I also remember Grandma making salmon cakes with eggs & toast for breakfast. As she put it, "they were delectable, delicious and divine". She hasn't had salmon cakes in years, but the memory of them brought her joy again. My favorite memory of Grandma is just sitting and talking with her. She always shows an interest in what you're doing and what's going on in the world, although she may not agree with it and will not hesitate to let you know! Our hats are off to you, Grandma Phoebe. May you roll into your centennial year with grace, beauty and pride.