[2] She and her brother, Donald Malonson, were raised at the family homestead near Lobsterville Road, which had been built by her great-grandparents., Thomas Manning and Rosabelle Howwasswee.
[2] She had hoped to attend Salem State College to become a teacher, but lack of money during the Great Depression led her to abandon those plans.
Widdiss split worked part-time at the former Jordan Marsh department store and an elementary school cafeteria in Wayland, Massachusetts.
[2] Aquinnah Wampanoag of Gay Head also received federal recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1987 during her tenure in office.
[2] Widdiss sold their home in Wayland, Massachusetts, and moved back to Martha's Vineyard, where she built a cottage on her family's homestead in Gay Head, soon becoming a full-time resident.
[2] Widdiss had crafted clay objects to sell to tourists as a child, including cardholders, small lighthouses, and paperweights.
"[2] Her pottery has been displayed worldwide, including the Boston Children's Museum (where she was a member of the board of directors) and a bank in Kyoto, Japan.