If the Diocese of Arlington should ever decide to publish a Guinness-style book of records, the Church of St. Mary in Fredericksburg has a sure winner for one category: longest serving church usher.

Hugh B. Graninger, who turned 82 on June 23, has been at his usher’s post at the first Mass on Sunday since he was 14 years old. Unfortunately, a stroke on Christmas morning this year forced an abrupt retirement from the ushering ministry after close to 70 years.

Both his father, Bernard H. Graninger, and his uncle, Sebastian Graninger, had been ushers for many years at the original ante-bellum St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church at 706 Princess Anne Street in historic downtown Fredericksburg. Young Hugh was eager to join them, but Father Joseph V. Brennan, pastor from 1929-1936, insisted that he be at least 14.

As a teenage usher, Hugh was continuing a long history of Church service by the Graningers, which has paralleled the phenomenal growth of the Fredericksburg parish. His grandfather emigrated from Germany in 1870 to the softly rolling hills of southern Stafford County. While the church cornerstone was laid in 1858, it was not until 1871 that the first resident priest was assigned to St. Mary, which had a Catholic population of 180.

Hugh, wife Anna, and two of his three children still live on the same bucolic 50 acres on Leeland Road in the midst of the explosive suburban growth surrounding them. Hugh joked recently that it probably takes him longer to get to Mass now with the traffic-clogged roads than it did during childhood days when he, his father, and grandmother went by horse and buggy.

"As I remember, it took about 12-14 minutes with the horse trotting all the way. On the way back, we could just drop the reins because the horse knew the way home so well."

Like his forbears, Hugh continued to work as a farmer, raising cattle and hay, all the while being employed at the Quantico Marine Base as a plumber for 33 years. Later, this hard worker joined the Fredericksburg Auto Auction for a 21-year stint. World War II took him away from his beloved land for three years when he served in the Air Force in the Pacific Theater.

He and the former Anna Fleming, who grew up across the road from the Graninger farm, were married in 1950 by Father James J. Widmer. Before they were married, she took instructions from Father Widmer and became a convert to Catholicism.

In their 55 years of marriage and attendance together at early morning Mass, the ushering duties haven’t really changed much, according to Hugh. The couple has noticed some situations which sadden them, however, like ringing cell phones and rude behavior.

"You didn’t talk in church," Anna remembered, "and you didn’t hear children." She’s also noticed what seems to be a parade of youngsters getting up and going to the bathroom. That comment got Hugh reflecting on the fact that the original church site on Princess Anne Street, used as a hospital during the Civil War, had no bathroom.

"If there were an emergency, the usher would have to escort the person over to the parish hall which was behind the church building," he remembered.

The 7 a.m. Sunday Mass ushering team clearly misses their longtime associate who has made a remarkable recovery from his Christmas Day stroke. Arney Johnson, Michael Holmes, Patrick Murphy and Richard Zeleznock all were effusive in their praise and admiration for Graninger, calling him "a super guy who was quiet, capable, loyal and unassuming.

"You feel good being in his presence," said Murphy, "because he is one of those rare people you meet in life who doesn’t seem to have a downside; he’s always extremely pleasant and appreciative. In addition, he loves a good joke."