Mary Aglionby Johnson

Notes:

Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) - Friday, May 25, 2001
Mary Johnson Jerman died May 22, 2001, at Westminster-Canterbury, her residence for the last 15 years. She was born in 1892 at Crescent, W.Va., the daughter of Mary Leavell and Captain William Ransom Johnson of Chesterfield, Va. Captain Johnson was an engineer on General Lee's staff. Mrs. Jerman was seven when her mother died and she moved to Richmond to live with friends, then with her father at the Jefferson Hotel. In 1918 she married William Borden Jerman of Raleigh, N.C. At the time of his death in 1941, he was vice president of the former Virginia Trust Company. Mrs. Jerman was graduated from Miss Jennie Ellett's School, now St. Catherine's School, and she attended Sweet Briar College. She was a charter member of the Junior League of Richmond, a member of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Tuckahoe Garden Club, The Woman's Club and St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Mrs. Jerman had three older brothers, William, Pegram and Francis Johnson. She is survived by three daughters, Mary Leavell Tompkins, Frances J. Brown and Julia J. Neal; grandchildren, Christopher R. Tompkins Jr., Mary T. Miller, Edith C. Gillis, Julia N. Rose, Marie Neal, Frances N. Smyth, David Neal; eight great-grandchildren. Mrs. Jerman was predeceased by her grandson, John R. Chapman Jr. A memorial service will be held 12 noon Saturday, May 26, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Catherine's School Foundation, St. Paul's Church or Westminster-Canterbury Fellowship Fund.

MARY J. JERMAN DIES AT 108
Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) - Thursday, May 24, 2001
A sunny disposition and a talent for firing off one-liners like a teen-ager: Mary Johnson Jerman followed a simple life's code that kept her kicking throughout all of her 108 years.

"It's great to be the birthday girl," Mrs. Jerman told The Times-Dispatch in 1998 during her 106th birthday party at Westminster-Canterbury where she had lived since 1986. But then "everything makes me happy," she said.

Mrs. Jerman died Tuesday. Born in 1892 in Crescent, W.Va., she lived nearly all her life in Richmond.

Her father served as an engineer under Gen. Robert E. Lee during the Civil War. Mrs. Jerman's daughter, Mary Leavell Tompkins of Richmond, said the Confederate general had a pew at St. Paul's Episcopal Church across from her family's pew. Lee died in 1870.

As a young girl, Mrs. Jerman boarded in the same Richmond home as Miss Jennie Ellett, whose girls' school became St. Catherine's School. "Naturally, she attended the school," Tompkins said, speculating that her mother was among the first and, certainly, the oldest alumna.

But history was hardly her subject. Rather than dwelling on the past, Mrs. Jerman preferred ribbing visitors and staff at Westminster-Canterbury.

At her 103rd birthday, Mrs. Jerman was asked by her daughter how she felt. Tompkins recalled her mother's deadpan answer: "It's better than three-hundred-and-one."

Another relative asked only recently if she knew when her birthday was. She answered correctly and without pause. The relative then asked a second question: "Do you know when you were born?"

"No!" she shot back. "I was too little."

Mrs. Jerman's remarkable age was always of only passing consequence to her, her daughter said. "She was just good company," Tompkins said. "She was content."

Mrs. Jerman would have turned 109 in July.

In addition to Tompkins, Mrs. Jerman's survivors include two other daughters, Frances J. Brown of Maryland, and Julia J. Neal of Richmond.

A memorial service will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Saturday at noon.

Mary married William Borden Jerman 23 Sep 1918. William was born 6 Sep 1889, Raleigh, North Carolina; died 2 Oct 1941, Richmond, Virginia; was buried , Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

TOMPKINS, MARY LEAVELL
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Web Edition Articles (VA) - Friday, April 15, 2016
TOMPKINS, Mary Leavell, of Richmond, died peacefully on April 13, 2016, at Westminster Canterbury. She was born September 1, 1920 in Richmond, the daughter of Mary Johnson and William Borden Jerman. Mary Leavell was a '38 Cat (1938 St. Catherine's School graduate) and a 1942 graduate of Smith College. She worked at St. Christopher's School for many years as the headmaster's secretary and later taught typing at St. Catherine's School. She enjoyed playing bridge and tennis, gardening, and being with her family and many friends. She was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, The Woman's Club of Richmond, The Country Club of Virginia, The Philadelphia Quarry Club, The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America, The Junior League of Richmond, and a past president of The Tuckahoe Garden Club of Westhampton. Mary Leavell was preceded in death by her loving husband, Christopher Robinson Tompkins; and her son-in-law, James Miller. She is survived by her son, Christopher Robinson Tompkins Jr. and his wife, Ginny; her daughter, Mary Tompkins Miller; three grandchildren, Rob Tompkins (Julia), Ann Miller Flippin (Travis) and Jamie Miller; and two great-granddaughters, Nora and Margo Tompkins; and two sisters, Frances Brown and Julia Neal. A Celebration of Life will be held 11 a.m. Monday, April 18, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 815 E Grace St., Richmond, Va., with a reception to follow. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Autism Society of Central Virginia (asacv.org), The Virginia Home (thevirginiahome.org) or St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

Mary married Christopher Robinson Tompkins 6 Dec 1947, Richmond, Virginia. Christopher was born 1 Aug 1909, Richmond, Virginia; died 19 Aug 1985, Richmond, Virginia; was buried , Hollywood Cemetery Richmond, Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Living married J.R. Chapman [Group Sheet]

Julia married Living (son of Thomas David Neal, III and Marie Payne) [Group Sheet]

Frances married Living. [Group Sheet]