Mary A. Davis

is honored with a Brick from The Davis Family

Mary Alice Davis
.
      Mary Alice Allen was born in 1927 in Swiftown, Mississippi, one of the youngest in a family of 15 children. Coming from a devout and loving home, she learned well what it took to raise a family in the fear of God, with great discipline and respect.
      As a young adult, Mary left Mississippi, her birthplace and home, and settled in Wichita, Kansas, the place which has for many years become her permanent residence. She married Theodore Roosevelt Davis in 1953, and immediately began to build a family in this ever-growing community. Theodore passed away in 1965, leaving Mary to raise eight of the 10 children by herself, the youngest being only three years old, and the oldest only 15. At the time of Theodore’s passing, Mary was a homemaker, and was immediately saddled with all the bills, burdens, and battles of raising eight children in a tough neighborhood and little resources. A deeply devout woman, Mary was neither dismayed nor discouraged; her strong faith gave her confidence that she was neither alone nor without hope. She determined to trust in God for every need along every step of the way.
      With a remarkable sense of purpose and resolve, and knowing that God would provide, Mary determined to acquire the skills to care for her family. She learned how to do clothing alterations, which enabled her to get a job as a seamstress. She immediately acquired her driver’s license so she could drive herself and here children where they needed to go. In the midst of a remarkably challenging schedule, Mary made her home a place of safety, security, and much joy, maintaining strict but loving discipline for her children.
      Through all the struggles her family faced, Mary kept her promise to her husband on his death bed to never put their children on welfare, and to keep them in the Methodist Church. Although she affiliated with the Baptist tradition, Mary dutifully maintained her pledge to see the children attend the Methodist church, while at the same time affiliating and attending Tabernacle Baptist Church. Countless stories could be passionately told about Mary’s resolve and deeply grounded faith in Christ, her remarkable perseverance in raising eight kids with no assistance from the government, her gentle humor and quiet confidence that made it possible for her family to survive the challenge of a fatherless home in the city.
      Mary Davis represents a classic example of what it means to endure in suffering in the face of terrible circumstances. She has been a constant source of encouragement to so many people that know her, all of whom have been touched by her unusual ability to stand the storms of life without wavering in her faith toward God, and without turning her back on God and her children. Raising eight children with little resources and constant pressure would be a tough challenge for two parents; for Mary to accomplish this alone in an extremely difficult situation reveals both her distinctive character, and her trusting and powerful faith in God’s provision.
      Today, Mary is the matriarch of a remarkable clan. Of Mary’s eight children, all share her faith in Christ, and three are licensed Ministers of the Gospel. She has several other children who are graduates of local universities, four of whom attended and completed degrees at Wichita State University, and a son who has a Ph.D. degree from the University of Iowa School of Religion. With dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, her countless hours of fervent, unseen, and tear-filled prayers for her children continue to affect the lives of her family. As her living children, we know our mother to be an amazing woman of warmth and character, one who has set a sterling example for us and for all others what it means to be faithful parent, a person of profound character, and above all, a humble and virtuous woman of God.