Mary Renehan Rhodes
Mary Renehan Rhodes was a strong fair-skinned woman. It was said that her hair
was beautiful red-gold when she was young. She had blue eyes that were
clouded by cataracts and she was almost totally blind toward the last. Her
mind and hearing were sharp and she had a retentive memory. She enjoyed
discourse on almost any subject, especially history. She was devoted to the
US (as were most children of Irish parents who had come to the US during the
potato famine). She gave birth to 10 children children before her husband's
death although most died in childbirth--she was especially sorrowful at the
loss of the only girl baby. Mary was an ardent Catholic and her children grew
up loving The Faith although most did not attend Mass regularly (only Uncle
Bernie). She taught "Billy" Rhodes, her grandson, the words of the Confiteor
when he was only 3 years old.
Mary and George rented the Calvert Mansion for a time before it became state
owned. Various people came to stay. Mary's sister, Agnes, lived there with
them for awhile. Grace Offutt Smith used to go picking mushrooms with Bernard
at Calvert Mansion. Every night at midnight the pump in the yard pumped by
itself. Later, Mary and George lived about one mile from Riverdale at what
Cousin Grace called Three Hills. Mary died at her son, William's house on
Florida Ave. in D. C. and is buried at Glenwood Cemetary with her husband.
She was 72 years old.
Mary once gave Cousin Grace a pink china silk dress and matching parasol.