Early Life and Family Background
Varina Howell Hayes Webb, born March 12, 1879, in Benton, Yazoo County, Mississippi, spent her life greatly influenced by the Confederacy. She was the granddaughter of Confederate First Lady Varina Anne Banks Davis and President Jefferson Davis. She was descended from Joel Addison Hayes and Margaret Howell Davis Hayes, prominent figures in Southern history.
Southern identity was shaped by the Civil War and Confederacy when Varina was born. Her family background was part of bigger narratives that shaped her life and choices.
Marriage and Family Life
Varina Howell Hayes married Dr. Gerald Bertram Webb in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, on July 30, 1904. With Dr. Webb as a distinguished physician, Varina undoubtedly enjoyed relative stability and comfort. They had at least five children, including two sons. This marriage and family allowed Varina to choose her own career and escape her ancestors’ political legacies.
Her life in Colorado Springs symbolised a geographic and symbolic departure from the Confederate past and a new age and identity that was different but related to history.
Historical and Familial Connections
The Hayes family was prominent in Jefferson Davis’ legacy. Varina Hayes Webb and her family attended important family events including Jefferson’s funeral with Varina Davis, his wife. These events highlighted the Hayes family’s longstanding ties to Confederate history.
Varina Howell Hayes was often mentioned alongside Margaret Davis Hayes and Lucy White Hayes Young, showing a strong family network that preserved links to their lineage. Varina and other family members appeared in Beauvoir, Jefferson Davis’s last house, photos and papers, showing their continued preservation efforts.
Public Persona and Historical Legacy
The Civil War heroes of Varina Howell Davis Hayes Webb’s family affected her life. Varina Anne Davis, her grandmother, provided Confederate opinions during and after the conflict. Living in the shadows of these historical figures, Varina Hayes undoubtedly adopted their public persona and attitudes.
Varina Hayes Webb was part of a generation that had to reconcile their ancestors’ problematic history with 20th-century realities. This assignment entailed shaping the narrative of Jefferson and Varina Davis for educational and historical projects relating to the Davis family.
Varina’s Later Years and Passing
Varina Howell Hayes Webb died at 54 in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, on February 23, 1934. Her death ends an era for Confederate leaders. She witnessed Southern identity transform post-Civil War.
Her life bridges the old Confederate society and the modern South, locked between a disputed history and a promising future. Her life illustrates the difficulties of balancing family and heritage with individual identity.
Varina Hayes and Her History
Varina Howell Davis Hayes Webb’s life narrative demonstrates how familial legacies shape identities. Her proud and controversial lineage affected her life and decisions. As the granddaughter of Jefferson and Varina Anne Davis, her personal narrative and historical context intermingled.
Her existence in Colorado Springs, her role in the Hayes family, and her interactions during significant historical events illustrate a larger theme of balancing the past and present. The Davis family and Confederate past are humanised by Varina Hayes’ story of identification and memory.
