Mary Elizabeth Comer Webster (July 20, 1928 – July 4, 2008) was an American political consultant and Democratic strategist. She managed the Rockingham County and

Alamance County Alamance County (), from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved September 18, 2012. is a county in North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 171,415. Its county seat ...

campaign offices for Congressman

L. Richardson Preyer Lunsford Richardson Preyer (January 11, 1919 – April 3, 2001) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina and later a United States representative from North Carolina. Educat ...

and served as a national delegate to the

1980 Democratic National Convention The 1980 Democratic National Convention nominated President Jimmy Carter and Vice President Walter Mondale for reelection. The convention was held in Madison Square Garden in New York City from August 11 to August 14, 1980. The 1980 convention ...

. In 1995, she was elected as First Vice Chairwoman of the Democratic Party's Rockingham County Executive Committee.

Early life and marriage

Webster was born Mary Elizabeth Comer on July 20, 1928, in Forsyth County, North Carolina to John Webster Birch Comer and Martha Isabelle Holyfield Comer. She had a brother, Webster Milton Comer. Her grandfather, William Thomas Comer, served in the 45th North Carolina Infantry Regiment of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. She married James Jefferson Webster II, a son of Rockingham County Commissioner

J.J. Webster James Jefferson Webster Sr. (September 27, 1898 – May 24, 1965) was an American businessman, farmer, and politician. He owned a dairy and tobacco farm, tobacco warehouses, a general store, and co-ran a car dealership in Rockingham County, Nort ...

. They had two children, June Webster and James Jefferson Webster III. They lived in Stoneville, North Carolina.

Career

Webster and her husband operated the Shiloh Community Center. After her husband's death in 1975, Webster co-owned and operated Webster's Store, the family's general store on J.J. Webster Highway in Shiloh, near Stoneville, North Carolina. She also took over the management of rental properties owned by her late husband. Webster worked for the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

, served as a teaching assistant at Stoneville Elementary School, and was a bookkeeper and secretary of the board of trustees for Dumaine Farms. Prior to her death, she worked at a Quiznos restaurant in Eden, North Carolina alongside her daughter, June and grandson, Ryan.

Politics

Webster was a lifelong member of the

North Carolina Democratic Party The North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) is the North Carolina affiliate of the Democratic Party. It is headquartered in the historic Goodwin House, located in Raleigh. Governor Roy Cooper is a North Carolina Democrat. Since the 2010 passage of ...

and served in many capacities for the party's Rockingham County chapter. Webster served as a national delegate to the

, nominating President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

and Vice President

Walter Mondale Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (January 5, 1928 – April 19, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 42nd vice president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. A U.S. senator from Minnesota ...

for reelection. She was a congressional assistant to Congressman

. Webster was in charge of Preyer's offices in Rockingham County and, later, was in charge of his

offices in

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

. She advised and assisted in managing his successful congressional campaign. In 1995, Webster was elected as First Vice Chair of the Rockingham County Democratic Party Executive Committee. She was also a registrar in five presidential elections. Webster was a friend of First Lady Rosalynn Carter and was personally thanked by Lady Bird Johnson for her contributions to the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. Webster met President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

when he flew into Rockingham County NC Shiloh Airport to campaign in North Carolina.

Later life and death

Webster was a parishioner at Centenary United Methodist Church, where she taught adult

Sunday school A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. Su ...

classes, served as a lay leader, and performed as a member of the church choir. Webster died on July 4, 2008, at

Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, also known as Moses Cone Hospital, is a 517-bed tertiary care facility located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The hospital opened in 1953 on North Elm Street as a 310-bed community hospital. Moses Cone Hospit ...

in Greensboro, North Carolina. Her funeral was held on July 7, 2008, at Centenary United Methodist Church. She was buried in the Webster family plot in Centenary's cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Webster, Mary Comer 1928 births 2008 deaths American campaign managers American political consultants American United Methodists 20th-century American women landowners 20th-century American landowners Mary North Carolina Democrats People from Forsyth County, North Carolina People from Rockingham County, North Carolina United States Postal Service people Women in North Carolina politics