On Monday morning, Aug. 2, 1920, Mary Katherine Greene was born to Ethel Brown Greene and her husband, Toda Burton Greene, in Marlinton, WV. Within the next two years, the Greenes returned to their family and friends on Teaberry Road in the Fort Spring District.
Mary Katherine’s childhood years were spent here with family and friends. She attended school in Ronceverte and graduated from Greenbrier High School in the spring of 1937. Just a few months later, Mary Katherine was enrolled as a freshman at Greenbrier College for Women in downtown Lewisburg.
It was during her first year of college that she met her soon to be husband, Arlie Bronston “Bob” Webb. Over the next 16 years, Mary Katherine and Bob raised four children in Fairlea (Bob, Carolyn, Rick, and Mike) before divorcing. Mary Katherine moved to Washington, DC, where she worked as a hostess at the Howard Johnson Restaurant and Hotel on 14th Street. While residing in DC, she became an active and involved member of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Her dedication to the religion led her to a new career with the Review & Herald Publishing Company. The Seventh-day Adventist publishing association remained her professional focus until returning to Greenbrier County in the early ‘70s to help care for her parents.
Once settled back in Greenbrier, Mary Katherine joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lewisburg and worked as a Switchboard Operator at the Greenbrier Valley Hospital. Outside of caring for her parents, her extra time was spent in community service through various local clubs, organizations, and through the church. Her volunteer efforts even played a huge role in raising funds for the new Lewisburg church building for the Seventh-day Adventist community.
With these accomplishments, Mary Katherine’s proudest moments always came from her leadership with the children’s church. After much time spent leading a variety of artistic classes and groups for women in the area, Mary Katherine chose to move to North Carolina to be close to family. For nearly 15 more years, she continued to share her creative side with her church and North Carolina community.
Mary Katherine celebrates her 100th birthday on Sunday, Aug. 2. After four children, ten grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and 20 great-great-grandchildren, it has been a life very well lived.