Katherine Tupper Marshall
Katherine Boyce Marshall (née Tupper; October 8, 1882 – December 18, 1978) was an actress, writer, and wife of soldier and statesman George C. Marshall.
Katherine Tupper Marshall
December 18, 1978 (aged 96)
Leesburg, Virginia, U.S.
Wife of George C. Marshall
Together: Annals of an Army Wife (1946)
American Red Cross
Army Emergency Relief
Junior Officers, Inc.
Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines Club[1]: 261–262
3
Kitty Winn (granddaughter)
Second marriage[edit]
While in mourning, Katherine moved in with a family friend in Columbus, Georgia. While at a dinner party, Katherine met George C. Marshall. She recalls observing the 48-year-old lieutenant colonel in the room as a “very interesting officer” with “sandy hair and deep-set eyes” making himself comfortable in front of the fireplace.[1]: 2
Within two years, Katherine's acquaintance with George Marshall developed into a deep and mutual affection, topped off with his proposal of marriage. Her decision was not one she felt she could make on her own. Before accepting him, she insisted on obtaining the consent of her three children. Molly, Clifton and Allen agreed. The youngest had reservations at first, but later wrote a letter assuring the colonel that it was “OK with [him],” signing it “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”[1]: 3
On October 15, 1930, George and Katherine were married at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland.[7] The humble, quiet beginnings of their relationship contrasted with the fanfare of their wedding, caused primarily by the presence of Marshall's best man, General of the Armies John J. Pershing.[7] Although it was Pershing who attracted the attention, the public eye fixed its gaze on the new Mrs. Marshall that day as an object of curiosity and admiration. Her life as private individual was now eclipsed by her role as public figure.
Personal life[edit]
Katherine had three children with her first husband, Clifton Brown: Molly Winn (1912–1997), Clifton Stevenson Brown (1914–1952), and Allen Tupper Brown (1916–1944). George Marshall and Katherine did not have any children. In total, the Marshalls had five grandchildren who would often visit the retired couple in Leesburg.[12]
An avid rose gardener, Katherine cared for over twenty varieties of roses at Dodona Manor. Katherine's love of roses was well known, leading inventor Eugene S. Boerner to create the Katherine Tupper Marshall Rose, a pink hybrid tea rose.[13] It was patented by Jackson and Perkins in 1943.[13]