Greenwood Soul Mates – Lisa Webb
For us, “soul” represents that unique essence each person contributes to their community, weaving a colorful tapestry of stories, talents, cultural experiences, and more. In Greenwood, this tapestry is formed by numerous unique individuals whose captivating stories and deep connections to the region’s food, music and history define our identity as a town and make Greenwood such an extraordinary place to visit. These remarkable individuals are our “Soul Mates.”
When you ask lifelong Greenwood resident Lisa Webb what makes her hometown special, she doesn’t hesitate.\
“Greenwood is a jewel. The Delta is a jewel.”
That word, jewel, shines through everything Lisa says. It’s not just how she describes her home but the way she lives her life: with the warmth, color and creativity that make Greenwood sparkle. Lisa’s story begins halfway around the world. Born in New Delhi, she moved to the United States as an infant when her father, a brilliant physicist and computer scientist, came to teach at Mississippi Valley State University in the early 1970s. The family settled in Greenwood, where Lisa grew up surrounded by the slower rhythms and open-hearted spirit of the Delta.
“My dad wanted to raise his family in a small, close-knit community,” she recalls. “And that’s exactly what Greenwood was and still is.”
Greenwood is a town where everyone knows your name, where neighbors show up when you need them and where stories, like Lisa’s take root and bloom.
Lessons in Resilience
Both triumph and tragedy have shaped her journey. When her father passed away suddenly during her senior year of high school, life shifted overnight. Her mother, who had left India as a housewife, now found herself as a widow in a new country. She didn’t yet know how to drive or even how to write a check. Her mother learned to navigate life in America from scratch.
“My mother learned how to drive, write checks, go to the grocery store, all of it,” Lisa said. “She improved herself and then started teaching other women to do the same. It was inspiring.”
Those lessons stayed with Lisa. She built her own family with the same resilience and faith her parents showed. She met her husband, Steve Webb, not through a dating app or a friend, but through what she calls “a little divine intervention.”
“We still don’t know who introduced us,” she laughs. “Neither of us made the first call; it just happened. We think it was an angel.”
Forty-two years later, Lisa and Steve are still together, proof that Greenwood grows love stories too.
A Creative Spark in Greenwood
Her creative path also began here. As a young girl, Lisa and her father visited a downtown ceramic shop every Saturday morning. Those early mornings with clay and glaze left a mark that would resurface decades later. After raising a son and working in local healthcare, Lisa rediscovered pottery by chance at a funeral in nearby Ebenezer, Mississippi.
“A lady behind me asked if I liked pottery,” she remembers. “I said yes, and she told me about new classes starting in Greenwood. It felt like a sign from God. And now pottery is my life.”
What began as a hobby became a calling. She started gifting her pieces to friends and family until Steve joked, “This is getting to be an expensive hobby.” So, she set up a table at the Greenwood Farmers Market with a friend and everything sold.
Today, Lisa creates stunning, hand-built pottery that reflects the Delta itself – rich, soulful and full of character. From deep blue platters to elegant simple bowls, her pieces are now found on tables across the region. She named her business in a way that perfectly describes her life and legacy – India Meets Mississippi. Other than the farmers market and the online shop, you’ll see her pottery on sale at local festivals and homes where Southern hospitality shines.
“People in Greenwood love a good party,” she smiles. “And they love to serve food on something beautiful. I love that my pieces become part of that.”
Life in the Heart of the Delta
Ask Lisa what everyday life in Greenwood feels like and she paints a picture that could only belong to the Delta itself – alive with music, flavor and fellowship. She loves how her days flow from one familiar face to the next.
“From the post office in the morning to the supper table at night, you see people you know,” Lisa says. “It’s like a little reunion every day.”
Lisa’s faith runs deep, and it’s woven into how she views her art, her town and her purpose.
“Everything minus Jesus equals nothing,” she says quietly. “Without Him, I’m nothing. Without His love and support, I could do nothing.”
That sense of soul and faith, that inner light, as Lisa calls it, is the same one you feel when you walk through Greenwood’s streets. It’s in the sound of live blues, the laughter at Friday-night cookouts or eating downtown with friends, with the aroma of delectable food and the kindness of people who make you feel like you belong.
“Greenwood may not be perfect,” Lisa says. “But it’s special. It’s home. It’s a jewel.”
Come see why Greenwood shines so brightly. Explore the local art scene, shop the farmers market, visit historic sites like Robert Johnson’s gravesite or Tallahatchie Flats and discover stories like Lisa’s that give the Delta its heartbeat. Because in Greenwood, every story matters and every visitor leaves a little piece of their own.
Spend a day with Lisa Webb and see why life in Greenwood feels like a masterpiece in motion.
For more information about Greenwood and our Soul Mates, please visit our Facebook page & follow us on Instagram.