MARY ANN WEBB

Jun 1, 1955

(12 Aug 1843 – 31 May 1955)

Mrs. Mary Ann Webb ,111 years old,  Posey county's and Mt. Vernon's oldest resident died at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at her home at 1311 North Canal Street.

She was born in slavery in the vicinity of Winchester, Ky and grew up there, coming to Mt. Vernon 74 years ago.  Her third husband, Milton, Webb, a soldier in the Union Army in the Civil War died here in 1908.

Mrs. Webb's health had failed in recent years but she had been acutely ill for only two weeks.  For more than 50 years she had resided at the North Canal street address.

The funeral is at the Short-Niehaus Funeral Home, but funeral arrangements were incomplete at noon today. (Buried in the Mount Vernon I.O.O.F. Cemetery.)

The deceased had been a member of Bethel A.M.E. Church in Mt. Vernon for many years.  She also was a member of Zelda chapter. No. 17, Eastern Star, Evansville.

Five of her seven children are deceased.  surviving children are a daughter, Mrs. Henry Moorman, Mt. Vernon, a son, Fred Walker, Omaha, Neb., Also surviving are granddaughter, Mrs. William H. Payne, Newcastle, Pa; a great granddaughter, Mrs. L. H. Washington, Evansville; a half-brother, Ben Rice, Waverly, Ky., two half-sisters, Mrs. Rafe Mitchell, Waverly, Ky., and Mrs. Lena Kersey, Morganfield, Ky; a niece, Mrs. Nellie Harris, Evansville; two nephews Roy Knoe and Carl Knoe, Bloomington, Ill., and a grandnephew, Herbert Dows., Evansville.

Mrs. Webb was able to recall many experiences of her childhood when she belonged to John Boren.  "We had good white folks." she always said.  "Miz Boren put me in a corner and learned me how to know."  She recalled "switching flies" from the Boren dinner table and "going down to the big house to thread the jinny for Miss Mary Boren."

She remained in Kentucky for several years after being freed and came to Mt. Vernon about 1880 and worked for Charles and Oliver Terry in their grocery store.  Her first husband was Dan Finney and her second, Ed Walker, the father of the two surviving children.

Mt. Vernon has always known Mrs. Webb as a king, Christian and interesting personage. .

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Originally submitted by Betty Sellers