Photo by Amy Condra
In her new book, My Virginia Gentleman, Mair Conrad tells stories of leaving Wales after World War I and settling in Goochland with her husband.  “Mair has a wonderful grasp of life, love and family,” said publisher Wayne Dementi. “This comes through in her books.”

0 Comments Email Article Tweet This Share

During the tumultuous years of World War II, a young Welsh girl named Mair watched as her homeland played host to thousands of young American soldiers.

“When the Americans arrived, they were everywhere,” she said.  “It was fantastic!”

But when one of those Americans asked to be introduced to Mair, she was initially reluctant to grant the request.  “A lady came up to me and said, ‘There is a very nice American who wants to meet you.’ I said, ‘What’s wrong with him?’”

Turns out, not a lot: Mair not only agreed to meet the man, named Ernest Conrad, she agreed to be his wife.

Mair Conrad has written a book, My Virginia Gentleman, chronicling her relationship with the man who would be her husband for 53 years.

“When my husband became ill, one of my children said, ‘Write a book,” Conrad said at the memoir’s launch party last month.  She took the advice seriously, and began writing a sequel to her first work, On the Golden Stairs.

Published in 2003, that book, she says, tells the story of a young girl growing up in Wales before World War II, before her hometown of Barry became a staging area for troops in preparation for the invasion of Normandy.

“It was fascinating to me to learn about her childhood,” said Jane Cecil, who edited Conrad’s books. “I learned a lot and it was a great pleasure to work with Mair—she has a wonderful sense of humor!”

My Virginia Gentleman picks up where that story left off, after Conrad met Ernest, a young soldier from Richmond.

After the war the young couple returned to Virginia. They eventually settled in Goochland, where they raised three children, Mary Ann Kearn, John Anthony Conrad and Ernest (Chappie) Conrad III.

While in Goochland, Conrad wrote a column, “The Sabot Scene,” for The Goochland Gazette. She also founded the Snooty Fox Society, a social group named after a London restaurant.

“The club is still active today,” said Conrad. “It has a waiting list, I think!”

She also organized the Country Walkers, a walking group that would stroll through the countryside near her house as Windy Knoll.

Wayne Dementi of Dementi Milestone Publishing, the publisher of Conrad’s latest work, said, “Mair has a wonderful grasp of life, love and family. This comes through in her books.”

Conrad says that she enjoyed writing the books. 

“It’s the best therapy you can have… you find out so many things about your family,” she said. “As long as I wrote the book, my husband was still alive.”

There are no comments for this entry