Elizabeth “Lib” Marks Jennette, age 93, surrounded by loving family, died on November 1, 2017. Born in Broadway, NC, on July 2, 1924, she lived over 58 years in Washington, spending the past 7 1/2 years at the Oaks at Whitaker Glen retirement home in Raleigh.

The third child of the late Thomas Ozzie Marks and Carrie Thomas Marks, Lib was reared in Sanford, NC. She graduated from Sanford High School in 1942, then from Duke University in 1945, earning a baccalaureate degree in elementary education.

Proud to be a Duke graduate, she enjoyed reminding her husband and children of the university’s academic superiority. While greatly respecting her intelligence and education, her husband and children (graduates of UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University) indulged her in what they considered a possibly unrealistic assessment of the virtues of her alma mater. (Just sayin’)

Lib had a wonderful sense of humor. We (her daughters) are sure she would appreciate our trying not to make this obituary a run-of-the-mill report.  We also know how very much our mother would appreciate our using possessive case pronouns before gerunds.

After graduating from Duke, Lib accepted a teaching job in Washington, where she taught fourth grade for two years at John Small School. In Washington, Lib met her future husband Rhodes Nelson Jennette. On June 21, 1947, Lib and Nelson were married. They lived several years in Greensboro, Salisbury and Burlington, until they returned to Washington in 1955, where they reared their two daughters.

Lib worked as a full-time “homemaker” (filling the roles of scrubwoman, ironing woman, cook, and seamstress for her children’s clothes), in addition to fulfilling the often challenging and stressful tasks required for mothering her growing-up daughters — including one hard-to-manage child (who finally turned out all right). When her younger daughter was in high school, Lib was able to enjoy substitute teaching.  Significantly, also, Lib was a supportive wife to Nelson in all areas, among other things, as a greatly valued helper to him with his CPA practice.

Her activities in Washington included longtime memberships in a book club and a bridge club where she enjoyed the company of friends. In addition, she enjoyed gardening and was especially fond of flowers; a beautifully arranged vase of fresh flowers was a common sight in her home. Her Whitaker Glen garden in Raleigh also provided her great joy, producing delicious vegetables and beautiful zinnias. During all of her years in Washington, Lib was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church. She was happy to maintain her membership there even during the years she was living in Raleigh.

In 1950, Lib was predeceased by an infant daughter, and in 2002 by her husband Nelson of 55 years; she was also predeceased by her brother, James Ozzie Marks, and by her sister, Geneva Marks Hines. She is survived by her two daughters: Martha Nelson Jennette (Tim Hoyt) of Raleigh, NC; and Elizabeth “Betsy” Ross (Brent) of Durham, NC.  She leaves four grandchildren and two great-grandsons. Grandchildren are Jennette Laughlin-Banks (Nancy) of Portland, OR; Elizabeth Banks of Washington; Sally Sorenson Conklin (Bryan) of Franklinton, NC; and Austin Sorenson of Durham. Great-grandsons are Keenan and Andrew Feldhousen of Washington.

A graveside service will be held at Oakdale Cemetery in Washington, on Saturday, November 11, at 2:00 p.m. Reverend Lee Kinney of the First Presbyterian Church will officiate the service.

Memorials may be sent to the First Presbyterian Church of Washington, or to the charity of your choice.

My sister and I are very fortunate to have enjoyed many years with our mother. All of us in her family will sadly miss her but will happily remember her for the rest of our lives.