Morrissette

Housemother

Lottie Marie Duncan Morrissette (1896-1982)

“Mom” Morrissette, one of the first “housemothers” or “chaperones” to Beta Upsilon Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, was born on May 22, 1896, to George Clifton and India Minerva Duncan of Sweet Springs, Monroe, West Virginia.[i] She married Charles Jeffrey [or Jeffries] Morrissette, Sr. on June 30, 1921.[ii] They had three children, Charles Morrissette, John Richard Morrissette and Helen Morrissette Flagg.[iii]According to John “Chip” Baber, “Mom served as our housemother for seven years beginning while we were in the house on Jeff Park. I'm not sure just when she started, probably in Spring or Fall 1960. My notes indicate that we occupied the house on Venable Lane sometime during the fall of 1959 and moved to 1514 Jefferson Park Avnue in March 1960. She worked for a government department in C'ville (HEW, I think). She had three children, a girl and two boys. She lived at 1916 Jeff Park in an upstairs apartment which she had painted Wedgewood Blue, her favorite color. “ "chaperone". She took her role as our housemother quite seriously. While Mom did not live in the house she was definitely our Housemother. She was our Mom. She participated in our parties and woe be to the pledge who did not dance with Mom at least once during the party. The following tribute was given by Chip Baber at the Necrology held on April 10, 2011 at the UVA Chapel as part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the founding of the Beta Upsilon Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi. MOM MORRISSETTE In the early 1960's the University required fraternities to have a chaperone at all of their parties when females were going to be present. Most houses typically hired half blind, half deaf little old ladies for this task. They would give their "chaperone" a couple of stiff drinks, and put her in a corner or a small room where she could sit quietly.

Mom Morrissette was in no way the "typical" fraternity

I have fond memories of Mom calling the house to ask for someone to come get her. She would arrive ready for business. "Get me a couple of pledges to take down those curtains!", she would say. "They need to be washed". A couple a days later she would call again for someone to come get her. In she'd come. "Get me some pledges to re-hang these curtains."

Mom was a life long resident of Charlottesville. She had two sons and a daughter, but lost her husband at a fairly early age and so she went to work for the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. She retired from the HEW at about the time she became part of us. Mom also worked at the University hospital as a night time sitter for persons recovering from surgery. Mom lived at 1916 Jeff Park, not too far from our house.

Mom served as our house mother for seven years. Even after she "retired" many of us kept in touch with her. She always used to brag the she had "50 sons and 73 grandchildren." In her later years Mom lived in the nursing wing of University Hospital. She attended both our 10th reunion in 1971 and our 20th reunion in 1981. Mom passed away in April 1982, a few weeks before her 86th birthday.

We of the early brothers are pleased to honor her. She was our "Mom".

Composite biograpy prepared by Russell H. Davis, PhD using information from John “Chip” Baber, Ancestry.com, as well as information found in obituaries in The Daily Progress and The Island Packet (Hilton Head, SC)

ENDNOTES

[i] 1900 U S Federal Census found on www.genealogy.com

[ii] http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/f/l/a/Helen-M-Flagg/index.html

[iii] http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/islandpacket/obituary.aspx?n=john-richard-morrissette&pid=153846483&fhid=5621 and http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dailyprogress/obituary.aspx?n=john-richard-morrissette&pid=153848125