Marian Hutchins was the middle daughter of Willy and Mamie Deitrick. We often heard about how she didn't get what her sisters got, one of them was piano lessons. Her father was a plumber for the Richmond public schools and she often went with him after work to fix his co-workers plumbing problems because they couldn't afford it. She would play with the children of the coworkers while her father worked. He would not charge them a thing. She must have gotten her generously from him as she was always taking food to the less fortunate when she lived on the Chesapeake Bay. She loved to cook especially her famous Christmas cookies that she sent to her family. She also made fruitcakes that she learned to make from her German grandmother. I think the only reason family liked her fruitcakes was the bourbon she put on a cloth over the fruitcake to moisten it.
She went to John Marshall high school where she met Billy Hutchins and they married in 1941. The war started and Billy had to go overseas in 1942 and her oldest daughter was two years old when she saw her father for the first time. Billy was color blind and when he came home for leave the doctors would not let him return to the South Pacific. So Marian packed up Patty and drove across country with 2 other women to live in California with him where he was stationed until the war ended. She was a stay at home mom until her children were in school and she went to work part time and finally got her favorite job working for a monument company. She was there 17 years and loved it and had many stories of being there. This is where she learned to stand up for herself.
After she retired she and Billy moved to the Chesapeake Bay. She didn't like football so when Billy was watching a game she would go out in her garden often staying after dark. She loved her vegetable and flower gardens. After his death in 1985 she became the "Mayor of Dungeon Thicket" in charge of the roads etc. Everyone would call her in case they forgot to do something before they left. She was always checking on people's homes making sure they were secure. She lived there for 11 years by herself doing most of the work, cutting grass, making fences, climbing on the roof, hauling firewood. She stayed there until 1996 when she moved in with her daughter and son in law.
Marian Hutchins, or "Granny", as many people knew her, wasn't someone you conversed with, but rather listened to. There was no such thing as a quick phone call with her. Highly opinionated, she always had something to say. And when the angels came for her, I'm sure she talked their ear off all the way to heaven!
She also liked to tell stories and she had 98 years' worth of them. One story she liked to tell, was of her "church-going" days back when she went with her daughters to Saint Michaels in Bon Air. At the church suppers people would want to know where her meatloaf was so they could be there first to get some. Nevertheless, it tickled her that the minister would wish his parishioners a Merry Christmas at the end of the Easter service and a Happy Easter at the end of the Christmas service. He did this because he knew he would not see most of them until that next holiday.
However, despite her lack of regular church attendance, she did try to live a good Christian life. She was compassionate. She adopted her grandkids' friends so that she became their Granny as well. When her granddaughter was in college and sent her care packages, she always included treats for her granddaughter's roommates as well. She also helped her grandchildren any way she could. She didn't have a lot of money but she always managed to help one of them out when they needed it. Likewise, she did what she could for the less fortunate – one example was helping to buy the special doll her hairdresser's granddaughter wanted for Christmas but the hairdresser could not afford, all because she wanted that little girl to have a happy Christmas.
Finally, people would ask her how she managed to live so long, what was her secret? Her secret was two-fold: 1). She never gave up. When she was 16, she survived acute appendicitis which left her hospitalized for several months. Her family feared she wouldn't survive and called their minister to administer her last rites. She told the minister there was no need, she wasn't going to die. That was Granny, when she made up her mind to do something, she did it! 2). She believed in the power of Publix spring water. She drank it all day long, but it had to be Publix spring water, that other stuff is no good.
She had a good life but there were many ups and downs but she handled them very well. She lost her oldest daughter at an early age and she stepped in and help raise her daughter's children letting her granddaughter live with her on the bay. She took care of all of her grandchildren needs up until the end and often helped out her daughter. She was a good mother and grandmother and great grandmother but as one of the old farmer's on the bay would often tell her and it should be on her tombstone "You're a hard woman, Marian Hutchins." I think most of you know what he meant.
She went to John Marshall high school where she met Billy Hutchins and they married in 1941. The war started and Billy had to go overseas in 1942 and her oldest daughter was two years old when she saw her father for the first time. Billy was color blind and when he came home for leave the doctors would not let him return to the South Pacific. So Marian packed up Patty and drove across country with 2 other women to live in California with him where he was stationed until the war ended. She was a stay at home mom until her children were in school and she went to work part time and finally got her favorite job working for a monument company. She was there 17 years and loved it and had many stories of being there. This is where she learned to stand up for herself.
After she retired she and Billy moved to the Chesapeake Bay. She didn't like football so when Billy was watching a game she would go out in her garden often staying after dark. She loved her vegetable and flower gardens. After his death in 1985 she became the "Mayor of Dungeon Thicket" in charge of the roads etc. Everyone would call her in case they forgot to do something before they left. She was always checking on people's homes making sure they were secure. She lived there for 11 years by herself doing most of the work, cutting grass, making fences, climbing on the roof, hauling firewood. She stayed there until 1996 when she moved in with her daughter and son in law.
Marian Hutchins, or "Granny", as many people knew her, wasn't someone you conversed with, but rather listened to. There was no such thing as a quick phone call with her. Highly opinionated, she always had something to say. And when the angels came for her, I'm sure she talked their ear off all the way to heaven!
She also liked to tell stories and she had 98 years' worth of them. One story she liked to tell, was of her "church-going" days back when she went with her daughters to Saint Michaels in Bon Air. At the church suppers people would want to know where her meatloaf was so they could be there first to get some. Nevertheless, it tickled her that the minister would wish his parishioners a Merry Christmas at the end of the Easter service and a Happy Easter at the end of the Christmas service. He did this because he knew he would not see most of them until that next holiday.
However, despite her lack of regular church attendance, she did try to live a good Christian life. She was compassionate. She adopted her grandkids' friends so that she became their Granny as well. When her granddaughter was in college and sent her care packages, she always included treats for her granddaughter's roommates as well. She also helped her grandchildren any way she could. She didn't have a lot of money but she always managed to help one of them out when they needed it. Likewise, she did what she could for the less fortunate – one example was helping to buy the special doll her hairdresser's granddaughter wanted for Christmas but the hairdresser could not afford, all because she wanted that little girl to have a happy Christmas.
Finally, people would ask her how she managed to live so long, what was her secret? Her secret was two-fold: 1). She never gave up. When she was 16, she survived acute appendicitis which left her hospitalized for several months. Her family feared she wouldn't survive and called their minister to administer her last rites. She told the minister there was no need, she wasn't going to die. That was Granny, when she made up her mind to do something, she did it! 2). She believed in the power of Publix spring water. She drank it all day long, but it had to be Publix spring water, that other stuff is no good.
She had a good life but there were many ups and downs but she handled them very well. She lost her oldest daughter at an early age and she stepped in and help raise her daughter's children letting her granddaughter live with her on the bay. She took care of all of her grandchildren needs up until the end and often helped out her daughter. She was a good mother and grandmother and great grandmother but as one of the old farmer's on the bay would often tell her and it should be on her tombstone "You're a hard woman, Marian Hutchins." I think most of you know what he meant.
Marian Hutchins was the middle daughter of Willy and Mamie Deitrick. We often heard about how she didn't get what her sisters got, one of them was piano lessons. Her father was a plumber for the Richmond public schools and she often went with him after work to fix his co-workers plumbing problems because they couldn't afford it. She would play with the children of the coworkers while her father worked. He would not charge them a thing. She must have gotten her generously from him as she was always taking food to the less fortunate when she lived on the Chesapeake Bay. She loved to cook especially her famous Christmas cookies that she sent to her family. She also made fruitcakes that she learned to make from her German grandmother. I think the only reason family liked her fruitcakes was the bourbon she put on a cloth over the fruitcake to moisten it.
She went to John Marshall high school where she met Billy Hutchins and they married in 1941. The war started and Billy had to go overseas in 1942 and her oldest daughter was two years old when she saw her father for the first time. Billy was color blind and when he came home for leave the doctors would not let him return to the South Pacific. So Marian packed up Patty and drove across country with 2 other women to live in California with him where he was stationed until the war ended. She was a stay at home mom until her children were in school and she went to work part time and finally got her favorite job working for a monument company. She was there 17 years and loved it and had many stories of being there. This is where she learned to stand up for herself.
After she retired she and Billy moved to the Chesapeake Bay. She didn't like football so when Billy was watching a game she would go out in her garden often staying after dark. She loved her vegetable and flower gardens. After his death in 1985 she became the "Mayor of Dungeon Thicket" in charge of the roads etc. Everyone would call her in case they forgot to do something before they left. She was always checking on people's homes making sure they were secure. She lived there for 11 years by herself doing most of the work, cutting grass, making fences, climbing on the roof, hauling firewood. She stayed there until 1996 when she moved in with her daughter and son in law.
Marian Hutchins, or "Granny", as many people knew her, wasn't someone you conversed with, but rather listened to. There was no such thing as a quick phone call with her. Highly opinionated, she always had something to say. And when the angels came for her, I'm sure she talked their ear off all the way to heaven!
She also liked to tell stories and she had 98 years' worth of them. One story she liked to tell, was of her "church-going" days back when she went with her daughters to Saint Michaels in Bon Air. At the church suppers people would want to know where her meatloaf was so they could be there first to get some. Nevertheless, it tickled her that the minister would wish his parishioners a Merry Christmas at the end of the Easter service and a Happy Easter at the end of the Christmas service. He did this because he knew he would not see most of them until that next holiday.
However, despite her lack of regular church attendance, she did try to live a good Christian life. She was compassionate. She adopted her grandkids' friends so that she became their Granny as well. When her granddaughter was in college and sent her care packages, she always included treats for her granddaughter's roommates as well. She also helped her grandchildren any way she could. She didn't have a lot of money but she always managed to help one of them out when they needed it. Likewise, she did what she could for the less fortunate – one example was helping to buy the special doll her hairdresser's granddaughter wanted for Christmas but the hairdresser could not afford, all because she wanted that little girl to have a happy Christmas.
Finally, people would ask her how she managed to live so long, what was her secret? Her secret was two-fold: 1). She never gave up. When she was 16, she survived acute appendicitis which left her hospitalized for several months. Her family feared she wouldn't survive and called their minister to administer her last rites. She told the minister there was no need, she wasn't going to die. That was Granny, when she made up her mind to do something, she did it! 2). She believed in the power of Publix spring water. She drank it all day long, but it had to be Publix spring water, that other stuff is no good.
She had a good life but there were many ups and downs but she handled them very well. She lost her oldest daughter at an early age and she stepped in and help raise her daughter's children letting her granddaughter live with her on the bay. She took care of all of her grandchildren needs up until the end and often helped out her daughter. She was a good mother and grandmother and great grandmother but as one of the old farmer's on the bay would often tell her and it should be on her tombstone "You're a hard woman, Marian Hutchins." I think most of you know what he meant.
She went to John Marshall high school where she met Billy Hutchins and they married in 1941. The war started and Billy had to go overseas in 1942 and her oldest daughter was two years old when she saw her father for the first time. Billy was color blind and when he came home for leave the doctors would not let him return to the South Pacific. So Marian packed up Patty and drove across country with 2 other women to live in California with him where he was stationed until the war ended. She was a stay at home mom until her children were in school and she went to work part time and finally got her favorite job working for a monument company. She was there 17 years and loved it and had many stories of being there. This is where she learned to stand up for herself.
After she retired she and Billy moved to the Chesapeake Bay. She didn't like football so when Billy was watching a game she would go out in her garden often staying after dark. She loved her vegetable and flower gardens. After his death in 1985 she became the "Mayor of Dungeon Thicket" in charge of the roads etc. Everyone would call her in case they forgot to do something before they left. She was always checking on people's homes making sure they were secure. She lived there for 11 years by herself doing most of the work, cutting grass, making fences, climbing on the roof, hauling firewood. She stayed there until 1996 when she moved in with her daughter and son in law.
Marian Hutchins, or "Granny", as many people knew her, wasn't someone you conversed with, but rather listened to. There was no such thing as a quick phone call with her. Highly opinionated, she always had something to say. And when the angels came for her, I'm sure she talked their ear off all the way to heaven!
She also liked to tell stories and she had 98 years' worth of them. One story she liked to tell, was of her "church-going" days back when she went with her daughters to Saint Michaels in Bon Air. At the church suppers people would want to know where her meatloaf was so they could be there first to get some. Nevertheless, it tickled her that the minister would wish his parishioners a Merry Christmas at the end of the Easter service and a Happy Easter at the end of the Christmas service. He did this because he knew he would not see most of them until that next holiday.
However, despite her lack of regular church attendance, she did try to live a good Christian life. She was compassionate. She adopted her grandkids' friends so that she became their Granny as well. When her granddaughter was in college and sent her care packages, she always included treats for her granddaughter's roommates as well. She also helped her grandchildren any way she could. She didn't have a lot of money but she always managed to help one of them out when they needed it. Likewise, she did what she could for the less fortunate – one example was helping to buy the special doll her hairdresser's granddaughter wanted for Christmas but the hairdresser could not afford, all because she wanted that little girl to have a happy Christmas.
Finally, people would ask her how she managed to live so long, what was her secret? Her secret was two-fold: 1). She never gave up. When she was 16, she survived acute appendicitis which left her hospitalized for several months. Her family feared she wouldn't survive and called their minister to administer her last rites. She told the minister there was no need, she wasn't going to die. That was Granny, when she made up her mind to do something, she did it! 2). She believed in the power of Publix spring water. She drank it all day long, but it had to be Publix spring water, that other stuff is no good.
She had a good life but there were many ups and downs but she handled them very well. She lost her oldest daughter at an early age and she stepped in and help raise her daughter's children letting her granddaughter live with her on the bay. She took care of all of her grandchildren needs up until the end and often helped out her daughter. She was a good mother and grandmother and great grandmother but as one of the old farmer's on the bay would often tell her and it should be on her tombstone "You're a hard woman, Marian Hutchins." I think most of you know what he meant.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
