Hometown Histories:
Lillian Turner Holly
Our third “Hometown Histories” profile features Mrs. Lillian Turner Holly, who was born and raised in Madison, taught in Madison early in her career, and returned to our community later in life with her husband, Hank. Lillian has enjoyed an extraordinary life as a wife, mother, homemaker, teacher, and voting rights activist.
Today, Lillian resides in Charlottesville, close to her hometown community. MCAAHA founder Nancy Garnett Williams met with Lillian, her daughter Joyce, and her niece Frecia recently to learn more about Lillian’s fascinating life and special gifts.
Lillian Turner Holly was born and raised in Madison County. After college, she returned to Madison to teach.
The lovely Mrs. Holly now resides in Charlottesville, not far from her Madison roots.
Lillian Turner was born on January 5, 1930, to James Randolph Turner and Gertrude Price in Madison, Virginia. The family’s home is located next to the former Madison Elementary School (now the school administration office). Lillian was the oldest of 13 children. Her siblings included two sets of twins, a boy and a girl in each set, and Gertrude herself was a twin. The Turners were active members of Antioch Baptist Church.
Lillian attended Madison Primary School and the Madison Training School on Ruth Road. After the death of her grandfather, Lillian moved to live with her great grandmother Cordelia Wormley in Oak Park. There she attended Oak Park Church. She was bused to the Culpeper Training School where she graduated.
An Emphasis on Education
Lillian was accepted at Bluefield State College (BSC), an HBCU in Bluefield, West Virginia. Lillian’s aunt, Virgelia Price, was a teacher in Madison and a graduate of BSC. Mrs. Price guided Lillian in receiving a full scholarship including room and board to Bluefield State College. Lillian joined the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and was an active member of the BSC alumni association. She excelled in her studies and received her BS degree in teaching. After graduation, Lillian returned to Madison to begin her teaching career at Madison Training School and the Rochelle School.
Lillian’s best friend at BSC was Laverne “Verne” Lee of Alexandria, Virginia. He became a coach and Lillian attended most of his games. A group of students became very good friends there and were always very supportive of each other. The group would pile into a car and off to a game they would go. At one of the football games Laverne introduced Lillian to his best friend growing up, Henry “Hank” L. Holly. Hank attended Howard University in Washington, DC. Lillian and Hank dated a few years and married on July 25, 1953. Lillian and Hank had three children: Joyce, Ted, and David.
Hank was an engineer for GE and was transferred to Cincinnati, Ohio, where the newlyweds began their lives together. Their sons Ted and David were born in Cincinnati. In 1961, Hank was transferred to the GE plant in Decatur, Illinois, and the family relocated there. Soon after, the family grew by one more when daughter Joyce was born.
Community Leaders
As this was the height of the Civil Rights era, Lillian and Hank were very active in their community. They served with the NAACP and the Urban League, and Lillian was a member of the League of Women Voters. At one voter registration event, Lillian was asked if she preferred to be called “negro” or “colored.” She politely responded “I would like to be called Mrs. Holly or Lillian.”
Lillian’s church, St. Peter’s, served as a hub of social justice work in the community. As devoted parents, Hank and Lillian participated in the PTA, 4-H, and Boy Scouts, and Lillian served as Den Mother. Hank and Lillian committed to a lifetime of service, and have been known for their coaching, advocating, mentoring, lobbying, and community organizing.
Although Lillian stepped away from the classroom to raise her children, teaching was never far from her heart. While in Decatur, she worked for the Cooperative Extension in the USDA Expanded Foods and Nutrition Education program. She worked with underprivileged children and families, helping them to learn how to prepare and eat healthy foods. Lillian’s daughter Joyce remembers having her first job at five years old, as she joined her mother in demonstrating the importance of healthy eating. Joyce recalls, “I made 25 cents for each demonstration.” Lillian’s niece Frecia Dugan mentioned that “Aunt Lil taught me the importance of eating oatmeal and I still do to this day. Not the instant kind, but the kind that you cook for 20 minutes.”
In 1974, GE closed the plant in Decatur and Hank was offered a job with Johnson & Johnson. Once again, the family pulled up roots and moved, this time to Brunswick, New Jersey. There, Lillian went back into the classroom, first as a substitute teacher, and then permanently as the Home Economics teacher for North Brunswick Township High School. Her teaching did not stop there, as she also served many years as the Sunday School Superintendent for Mt. Zion AME Church.
Back to Virginia
After retiring, Hank and Lillian returned to Madison to be close to family. They continued their commitment to serving the community, from building Habitat for Humanity houses to delivering meals for Meals on Wheels and serving on the Literacy Council. Lillian returned to Oak Grove Baptist Church, leading Sunday School.
Hank and Lillian had been married for 65 years at the time of Hank’s death in September 2019. While age has slowed Lillian down just a bit, she remains an energetic and enthusiastic lover of life! She is beloved by her family and adored by most people who have met her.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, And let her works bring her praises at the city gate.
Proverbs 31: 30-31
Verse submitted by Lillian’s daughter Joyce Holly
As a child, Lillian lived with her great-grandmother Cordelia and attended Oak Park Baptist Church.
Lillian’s mother, Gertrude Price Turner.
Lillian’s father, James Randolph Turner
Lillian earned a degree in teaching from Bluefield State College, where she met her husband, Hank.
After graduation from Bluefield State, Lillian returned to Madison and taught at the Rochelle school.
Some of Lillian’s students at the school in Rochelle, including Ray Goodall, husband of
MCAAHA board member Lois Goodall!
Lillian married Henry “Hank” Holly in 1953.
A lovely photo of Lillian sitting on the porch of Jesse Depass’s home, a neighbor in Oak Park
Lillian was an outstanding educator who specialized in teaching children about nutrition and healthy eating.
A recent photo of Lillian with her daughter Joyce.
Lillian’s niece Frecia (left) and daughter Joyce (right) recently visited Nancy Garnett Williams at the MCAAHA headquarters to share photos and stories.