Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: July 2002 Volume 39 Number 3, Page 105

In Memoriam: Mary Whitworth Barbee

Page 105

Mary Whitworth Barbee, a long-time member of the History Club and a resident of Paoli until her recent illness, died October 5, 2001 at Manor Care in Devon. She was 77.

Born June 23, 1924 in Bryn Mawr, she was the daughter of Horace and Rebecca Criswell Whitworth. Her mother, once a teacher at the Presbyterian School, died a few days after her birth. Her interest in the history of this area was no doubt inspired by her father's association with the historic Great Valley Mill on Valley Creek in Tredyffrin Township, which lasted until about 1950 when the mill was very near the end of its long span of operation.

A 1942 graduate of Tredyffrin Easttown High School, she played field hockey during her years there. Mary later wed Lee Barbee of North Carolina, but was widowed in 1959 when her husband died in a farm accident. She returned to Paoli to raise their children, David, Allan, Priscilla, Charlotte, and Katherine, who predeceased her mother. During this time, Mary became a football enthusiast, following closely her son's participation in the sport at Great Valley High School.

The History Club remembers Mary Barbee's contributions to its meetings and to its Quarterly publication. Her interest in history extended to the Diamond Rock School House Association and Chester County Historical Society. She also volunteered at the von Steuben House in Valley Forge National Historical Park.