From Ann Day's notes: Cousin Grace became close friends with Jennie Wileman
who was living in D.C. with her sister, Mae Hudson, and her father, F. S.
Wileman. The girls were about 13. Later, they double dated. Eventually
Jennie married William Rhodes, Grace's first cousin.
Will married Jennie shortly after she had come to D.C. to live with her
sister Mae who had married a former lumberman. Jennie was an orphan and her
sister Mae and brother Herman agreed that she had been treated harshly by her
stepmother in Grand Rapids, MI, and had not been allowed to atttend school.
She was a Lutheran but when she married Will she promised to raise her
children in the faith. She kept her promise and sacrificed to send her
daughter, Mary Grace, to parochial schools. Bill was sickly and attended
public school and Sunday school.
Jennie was greatly opposed to the use of alcohol (although Will was a beer
drinker) and Bill was permitted to make "home brew" in the basement for "Dad's
enjoyment."
Jennie studied the Baltimore Catechism and converted to the Catholic Church
which upset her family. She was a dedicated housekeeper. She believed that a
floor could not be thoroughly cleaned except by getting down "on your hands
and knees" and scrubbing it with a brush and cloth. Everything was dusted
daily and there were certain days of each week for washing bedding, windows,
front steps, etc. There was a special day for the canary "Dick" (who
eventually laid an egg) to get a bath. Jennie was convinced that the cat
bathed itself and was perfectly sanitary.
When widowed, she became active in the Spanish War Veterans Auxiliary. She
frequently made artificial poppies for Decoration Day and then would spend
hours putting them on the graves.
She lived with Mary Grace (her daughter) in Cheverly. She died shortly
after a stroke which she suffered while washing dishes in the Kilmer Street
kitchen after dinner one evening. She died in the Naval Hospital and was
buried in Arlington with Will.
She is remembered as a strong believer in family and she was credited with
keeping the family together by remembering birthdays, anniversaries, and by
frequent phone calls, letters, and visits.