Mordecai Wilson, a World War II veteran, long-time councilman in Lula, and a beloved figure in his community, would have turned 100 years old on Saturday, March 15.
Wilson passed away on Christmas Eve at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville at the age of 99.
Elected to the Lula City Council in 2000, Wilson remained an active participant in council meetings even after he left office in 2021. In a time designated for Wilson at the end of every meeting, Wilson read “Mordecai’s Moment” – a written statement he’d recite aloud that summed up the state of the city and his thoughts on its future.
A true testament to his dedication, Wilson attended more than 180 Georgia Municipal Association meetings over the years, and throughout his life, he earned recognition from national figures – including former President George H.W. Bush – for his contributions to society.
On Saturday, on what would’ve been his 100th birthday, more than 50 Lula residents and others whose lives were touched by Mordecai and his wife, Mary, gathered at the Lula Train Depot to pay tribute to the couple.
Before moving to Lula in the mid-90s, Wilson served in the Pacific during WWII before he and Mary, who married in Boston, opened two group homes for children in need and fostered over 30 children in the Boston area. Mordecai worked as a truck driver through the 1960s, then later as a security guard at a women’s college, before focusing full-time on fostering children with Mary at the group homes.
Mary Wilson died in 2014.
Ceremony
At the Lula Depot, a table and two chairs were set aside in the center of the room to honor Mary and Mordecai. Former Lula Mayor Jim Grier announced the establishment of a new scholarship fund in their name.
The Mary Moon Wilson and Mordecai O’Neil Wilson Scholarship Fund, created through a collective effort, has already raised around $2,500 and will support first-generation high school students pursuing a college education, according to Grier.
“Mordecai always thought it was important – if someone’s parents didn’t go to college – that they still had the opportunity to go to college,” Grier said. “That’s why we’re going to focus on someone who would be the first generation in their family to go to college.”
Grier first met the Wilsons in 2002 while volunteering with Lula’s Downtown Development Authority. Mordecai, then a councilman, reached out to Grier to ensure the city’s development was on track. Their paths crossed more frequently in the years that followed, and their friendship grew stronger when Grier became mayor in 2018.
“It was a great friendship that developed,” Grier said. “He was so intelligent. He could talk to you about anything. You really went in-depth with him with things. I’ve said he lived in tumultuous times. But he was never bitter. He was always very loving and outgoing to everybody, no matter how they reacted to him…Mordecai was the epitome of caring for the community, and Mary was the same way. Mordecai always said: ‘Anything he was – it was because of Mary.’”
Mary and Mordecai’s three foster sons—Spike, John, and Paul Haible—traveled from various parts of the U.S. to attend the ceremony. Each of the men shared memories of Mordecai, describing him as a loving father figure whose life was shaped by Mary’s guidance.
“I always say: ‘Mary looked really great in a dress, but she always wore the pants,’” Spike said.
Mary first became a maternal figure to them when she worked with their mother in Lexington, Massachusetts, in 1959. When their mother fell ill, Mary stepped in and maintained order in the home.
“She was lovely, but firm, I would say,” Spike said. “When she set down the rules, those were the rules. And we all got along beautifully. When Mary dropped the hammer, the hammer was dropped.”
Lorraine White Smith, Mordecai’s grandniece, also spoke about the impact both Mary and Mordecai had on her life and others. Mary, she said, was her mentor.
“When I lived in Boston, they helped me get through school,” said Smith, now 81-years-old. “All the things I learned was through Mary – because I was a female, and Black, and I had to make a way back in the ‘60s. I just thank God that I’m here to tell you…just be thankful that: When you’ve had the chance to have met Mordecai and Mary, you can say you met a hero and a highness.”
