Winnifred W. (Weamer) Davis

Winnifred Weamer Davis, 109, Homer City died December 9, 2021 at Moorehead Place, Indiana.  She was the daughter of the late Earle George  and Jeanette (Iseman) Weamer and was born November 8, 1912 in Indiana, PA.

Winnifred was of the Lutheran Faith, but attended the Presbyterian Church in Homer City after she was married. She was employed by Bell Telephone where she worked as an operator and later as a supervisor.

Winnifred was the fifth of nine children. She was in good health all of her life. When asked her secrets to living a long life, she replied, "Keeping busy all the time, thinking of other people, and going to church.” And “vegetables”. She spent the last 40 years traveling with groups as well as with her grown children, creating and caring for her yard, enjoying friendships and generally reflecting on a life well lived. Her son-in-law, Bill, described her as "a true warrior in life and someone that has left a great legacy of sharing and kindness with strong, independent and gifted daughters. There are few women that can match her for her fortitude in living a worthwhile and productive life." She was kind, nonjudgmental, very intuitive, independent-minded, and principled. A loving caregiver said recently that "it did not matter how difficult things got, you could not get her to say a bad word about anyone". She was a wonderful mother, wife and friend. Winnifred was ahead of her time in her thinking. She wanted her daughters to be educated so they could take care of themselves, and she always advised them to '"keep your feet on the ground, honey." Depending on the situation, she would say either "You have to learn to pedal" or "You have to learn to tread water". Winnifred was never bored. She always said that her greatest joy was in raising her children. They were all different, she was proud of them, and she loved each one equally. When it stormed, she often stood at the window with them when they were little girls and talked about how beautiful it was outside and that there was no reason to be afraid. As an example of her kindness and love for humanity, she always fed the hobos who asked for food as they were passing through town. She encouraged her daughters to be courageous, adventurous, and to see the world. In a letter to her daughters dated July, 1996, she wrote, "I had wide walls to build my House of Life and did my best each day. I had love for my family, hope for our future children, hope for our country, and great faith in God. I prayed for tolerance, wisdom and guidance when our children or anyone else asked me for advice or help with their problems…"

Winnifred was a Life Member of the National 4th Infantry (IVY) Division Association, Homer City Women's Club, Homer City United Presbyterian Church, Association of BellTel Retirees, and Life Member of the Telephone Pioneers of America.

Gardening was one of Winnifred's major interests. Her advice when one was upset was to go outside and dig in the dirt. She loved to play bridge and played it very, very well. She also loved to refinish furniture, had sewn lots of slipcovers, and sewed Halloween costumes for her children and granddaughter.

She is survived by her four daughters, Dr. Janet Kiser Lambarth and husband, Doug, Spokane, WA; Beverley Hewitt, Port Republic, MD; Valerie McCoy and husband, Bill, Oakland City, IN; and Melanie Davis, Washington, DC; two grandchildren, Zachary McCoy, Plush, OR and Dr. Kent Elizabeth Davis-Packard, Washington, DC.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Williams Davis in December, 1982, her parents and her eight siblings.  She was also preceded in death by her grandson, Erik Brent McCoy.

Graveside services were held at Greenwood Cemetery, Indiana, PA on December 15th.

Winnifred's granddaughter, Kent, has established a GoFundMe campaign for aspiring high school baseball players in her memory. It is the Lisle R. Davis Memorial Scholarship fund. The link is ~ https://gofund.me/640d2f95. If you would prefer, a donation can be made by check as follows: Make check payable to Homer-Center Education Foundation; Memo line - Lisle R. Davis Memorial Scholarship. The donation can be mailed to Homer-Center Education Foundation, 65 Wildcat Lane, Homer City, PA 15748