Mary Hayes Downman gave the “Road to Emmaus” stained glass window to St. George’s in 1912 which was the church’s first Tiffany windows. It was given in honor of two sons who predeceased her –Rawleigh W. and James H. Downman. James Downman died of a gun accident in 2011 and left Mrs. Downman all of … Read more
I talked with Martha on May 18, 2015 about two months before her death. She was spry, alert and of course very opinionated! She said she served 40 years on the Altar Guild which is certainly a record for longevity. She stressed that she always followed the orders of the priests. She said the job … Read more
Woodward was from Akron Ohio a graduate of Ohio State and spent 33 years at Mary Washington College in the financed area. In 1950 he was the Bursar and by 1967 Comptroller. He served on the Vestry in the late 1950’s, 1960’s and into the 1970’s. Russ Roberts remembered him this way – “The main … Read more
“Willie” Goolrick was a well known attorney with long years of Vestry service with offices on the first floor of the Bradford building. He service on the Vestry was from 1922-1949 and then 1950-53. The Vestry was dominated in the later years by professional men, such as Goolrick. He served as Senior Warden, Register of … Read more
“The noble life, or, what comes to the same thing, the Christian life, consists of rising above the petty selfishness and meanness of our individual animal nature; it makes our wealth, our pleasures, our politics, our faith, fruitful in the great organism of society, cooperating with the eternal purpose of God seeking the good of … Read more
Quenzel was both a librarian and professor of history at Mary Washington College. Over his lifetime he was a prolific author with 27 publications. We know him especially for History of St. George’s published in 1951. The history was written “at the suggestion of the Vestry”. No history of the church had been published since … Read more
Return to referring page Wallace was one of four sons of John Wallace who fought in the Civil War. He ended the war as a corporal with Company C, 30th Virginia. The war interrupted his legal career which was resumed and he was licensed to practice law in 1866. Wallace tended to stay with the … Read more
Sweetser was half of the feed and grain supply company Young-Sweetser Company from the 1920’s which later became Farm and Tack Supply in the 1980’s. It is noted for the Purina Grain Tower which marks the Fredericksburg skyline. Before this he and Young worked on a bedding manufacturing concern which had been destroyed by fire … Read more
By February, 1968 Avis Harris had taken her seat as one of the “vestrymen” and the first woman to sit on the Vestry. While women served, many customs from the past remained. It was not until 1978 that “vestrypersons” replaced the term “vestrymen” in the minutes. Dr. Carroll Quenzel had first proposed a female vestry … Read more
John Herndon was born and grew up in Fredericksburg for his first four years but spent most of his adult life away from the town. Educated in Washington DC he lived in Alexandria and worked with a variety of government agencies – the Census bureau, US Capital, Treasury Department. In retirement he moved to Charlottesville … Read more