Mary Virginia Davis

Fourteen jars of pickles, a box of plastic grocery bags and 13 walking sticks are just some of the things Mary Virginia (Jennie) Lassiter Davis, (February 2, 1931 - November 16, 2022) took with her in 2015 when she sold her house and moved to her first retirement home apartment. That was one of the maxims by which she lived…never trash anything you may need later; better to save what you have now, regardless of how trivial, rather than buy it later. And she remained fiercely loyal to that maxim throughout her life, having grown up in an era when things were not as easily attainable as today.

She also remained true to another rule of living: work. All the time. Be productive. Make something better. Build it if you need it. Rebuild it if it can be improved. Create something. Work, because that’s just what people do. Her parents instilled that in her and she taught it to her two children.

When she married the man she would love for the rest of her life, she took to heart the phrase “ ‘til death do us part”. After she and Crowell Davis said their vows in 1949 she was his constant companion, partner, helper (aka supervisor, to be sure he did it right) until his death in 2014 and her heart ached for him until her own death.

She attended Liberty Church of Christ until she moved to Huntsville late in life, and she had a good knowledge of the Bible. In her earlier years she taught many children’s classes and many of those children, now grandparents themselves, still recall special things she taught them. She also enjoyed a good spiritual debate and would often engage in a lively discussion with an acquaintance who “just refused to hear the truth”.

She was the last of 9 children born to Frank and Merle Lassiter and she spent most of her life on the home place in the Pintlala community of Montgomery, Alabama where she and Crowell built their house which she designed and raised their two children, Dwight and Angela.

By growing up on her parent’s diversified farm, she learned how to do many things which she later taught her children. When Dwight wanted to make a concrete mailbox post for a 4-H project, she taught him how to build the form, mix the concrete (this was in the days before bagged pre-mixed concrete), use scrap metal for rebar, finish the concrete, dig the hole and get the finished post perfectly plumb. She taught Angela how to sew clothes for her dolls using a treadle sewing machine and leftover fabric, which progressed to Angela learning to make her own clothes. Cooking was also part of Angela’s growing up curriculum and she still remembers how to morph an over-cooked dish into a tasty concoction so that the food would not be wasted.

Virginia Davis was a lifelong student herself. After they retired, she and Crowell enjoyed wood crafting and selling their items at craft shows. She learned to paint faces and wings on their wooden angels, and barnyard scenes on the barn fronts they created. Her painted wood items were popular with customers and they frequently sold out.

She delighted in keeping her pecan tree-covered yard immaculate, so she became a whiz on her zero-turn lawnmower. And of course every holiday family gathering at her house included her “suggesting” that grandchildren and great grandchildren could pick up limbs. The pecan trees on the property, most of which were planted by her daddy, were the focus of much time and energy through the years. She and Crowell spent countless hours gathering, cleaning, cracking, and selling hundreds of pounds of pecans each year.

She was dedicated to being prepared for any emergency. She kept three large freezers fully stocked with food, much of which reached the expiration date long before it was finally discovered and discreetly removed by a visiting granddaughter. She kept football helmets in her hall closet for head protection in the event of a tornado. She bought medical equipment years before her health became impaired, and she did indeed later use it.

A picture of someone’s life cannot be painted in a few words but perhaps the good parts of her life will be reflected in those she leaves behind. Those who survive her are her son, Dwight Davis and his wife Patsy, and her daughter Angela Hooten and her husband Anthony. Grandchildren and spouses are David Hard (Jessica) and their children Jenna and Jonathan, Holleigh Bolton (Mike) and their children Madison and Easton; Everlie Davis Bolton (Dr. Scott Bolton) and their sons Ethan, Logan and Davis; Dr. Tiffany Davis Dean (Greg) and their children Jackson and Rylee; Brittany Davis Ashley (Dr. Ty Ashley) and their children Sam, Silas, Smith, Mira Grace and Leah Joy.

Her family expresses their sincere appreciation for the care and compassion shown to her by the staff at Redstone Village in Huntsville where she lived for the last 6 years. A special thank you to those who endured her “instructions” on how to do their job.

This obituary would be incomplete without mention of her daughter Angela’s selfless devotion to her mother, especially during her stay at Redstone. Angela relinquished her post-retirement life plans to become her full time, always-on-call caregiver. The grandchildren and great grandchildren of the family have learned priceless lessons from Angela’s example.

The family would be honored if you wish to send a memorial contribution to Liberty Church of Christ, 15096 US Hwy 31, Hope Hull, AL 36043.