The matriarch of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, formed in 1937. Her life is marked by early trauma, including false incest accusations from her mother Buggy and the WWII death of her true love, Jack Whitman. A dangerous dosage of the antidepressant Dexamyl triggers a nervous breakdown where she severely beats her children. After years of estrangement, she reconciles with Sidda and welcomes her into the sisterhood.