The Shadow
C;IFTON FORGE, Va. (VR) – On August 29, 2025, VFW Post 1033 Auxiliary joined the Woodlands in celebrating the very special life of Navy veteran, Mary Elizabeth Frame Worley. Mary comes from a family of ten siblings, five of whom were also in the military. Her husband of 61 years, Wallace Glenn Worley Sr, retired from the United States Air Force with 30 years service. Mary has two children, Cathy Shiflett who lives in Harrisonburg and Wallace “Glenn” Worley, Jr. who lives in Glen Wilton.
Mary’s parents were Roseanne Knapp Frame and Felix James Frame. Mary is the last surviving sibling in a family of twelve children; James Richard Frame, Hilda Jane Frame, David Earl Frame, Edsel Ray Frame, Ina Frame Decker, Raymond Morrison Frame, William Harvey Frame, Thomas Douglas
Frame, Robert Dennis Frame, Gary Wayne Frame and half brother Ralph Frame.
Mary lived in Glen Wilton, Virginia before moving to the Rayon Terrace in the 1940s. Mary worked at the Courtesy Store in Covington as well as waitressing in many of the local diners and working at Halmode Apparel. Her hobbies were bowling, shopping and “digging in the dirt”.
Mary Elizabeth Frame enlisted in the WAVE in 1952 as a Clerk/Seaman in the United States Navy. She trained as a parachute rigger at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey. After graduating, she was stationed in Pensacola. Florida for a short time before being assigned to the Supply and Fiscal
Department at Naval Station Norfolk. Oddly, Mary was petrified of water and and she refused to fly. So, station changes were by bus or train. Mary remembers seeing Dwight Eisenhower on the train when she was in Florida.
Mary and nine of her siblings made history as one of the largest families enlisted by the same recruiter – Edwood Whitson. Four of her brothers, James, Raymond, Robert and William, were stationed aboard the USS Gearing (DD-710) at the same time in 1952, a rare and remarkable occurrence in United States Navy history.
Mary took a lot of pride in serving her country yet never spoke much about it. Working as a parachute rigger, she always had a fear of a rigging gone wrong and someone losing their life which made for a stressful work environment.
Mary’s daughter, Cathy, shared this story: At the time of Mary’s discharge from the Navy she lived at 1015 Rockbridge Avenue in Norfolk. In 2019 my husband and I had moved to 1015 Bolling Avenue in Norfolk. Out of all Norfolk there was a Rockbridge Avenue the next block over. After investigating
documents she found her mother had lived in Bolling Square Apartments which was torn down to build St. Patrick Catholic School as well as CovePoint at the Landings — The very apartment she and her husband lived in. We had somehow moved to the exact spot she previously lived in 65 years ago.
It is with great pride we celebrate this special veteran, Mary Worley, and her family who all served our country. Thank you. We look forward to Mary becoming a life member of VFW Post 1033 Auxiliary under her husband.
VFW Post 1033 Auxiliary will spotlight this family on the next Wall of Valor at the Covington post office.
