Born on April 5, 1881 in Detroit, Mary was the daughter of H. Kirke
White and Amanda Cloistique Fortier. She was educated in private
schools in New York. She preferred to be called Josephine.
She married a West Point graduate, Lt. George L. Morrison in 1905.
They had two children. Their daughter, Christine, died in 1910.
Josephine met William A. Comstock in Detroit and they were married
on April 22, 1919. She was 38 and he was 41. He adopted her son
and they changed his name to Kirke White Comstock. They had one
son together, William A. Comstock III.
Comstock was a banker and real estate broker. He
was elected governor of Michigan in 1932. Josephine entertained
a great deal. She felt that it was part of her job as First Lady
of Michigan. During his term as governor, the Comstock’s lived
in Ann Arbor, as she did not like Lansing. The Governor commuted
to the Capitol.
They moved to Detroit after his term. Josephine went to William’s
hometown of Alpena once or twice but did not like it there and would
never return. She spent her summers at Nantucket Island, Massachusetts
and many of her winters in Paris.
William died in Alpena in 1949 and is buried there. Josephine died
on December 13, 1955 and is buried in Elmwood next to her infant
daughter.
Born: April 5, 1881
Died: December 13, 1955
Buried: Section 11, Lot 30
