Gram’Mabel

Our Grandmother Mabel (Wynne) Cullipher (Curry) Roberson , affectionately known as  GramMabel,  passed away Sunday, July 11, 2010.  This August she would have been 86 years old. 

GramMabel had gone to the hospital Sunday morning with stomach pain.  The pain was from a stomach aneurism that had grown significantly and was putting pressure on her insides.  It was determined that she would need to have surgery…..the doctors told that my aunt and uncle she only had a 50% chance of surviving the surgery. 

In true GramMabel style – she did quite well in and immediately after the surgery.  But an hour or so later, her heart stopped.  The staff attempted chest compressions, and that did seem to get her heart going again.  But when they stopped, so did her heart.

She passed away about 10:00 that night.  And was not in pain.

The funeral was Friday at her church in Williamston, NC with the burial today (Saturday) up in Norfolk, VA.  She will be buried next to my grandfather, her first husband, Ervin Clyde Cullipher. (Albert, her husband that passed away 1 1/2 years ago, was buried next to his first wife. They both wanted it this way.)

My GramMabel was most definitely in a class all her own.  Now, it was a smoking class, that served bottled co’cola (as she would say) and a cup of instant coffee…but it is most assuredly a class all to her own. 

The past 10-15 years, she changed alot….sorta.  At one time, she was a very strong lady that worked hard at everything she did.  She was not one to be left sitting…..but the recent years, she became somewhat of a homebody…not wanting to go and do as she had once enjoyed.  In recent years, she was still strong, but it was more her will than her body. 

There are many memories of her getting in a car with her buddy Jean and driving down here to Charlotte just to go to MaryJoe’s Fabric Store.   She also loved to do crafts – if there was something in a store that she liked, she was surely going home to attempt to make it herself.  She liked to quilt and she LOVED to garden.  And at one time she loved to sit and fish.  She wanted to be needed….who doesn’t right? 

Many of you have heard my GramMabel stories – and they are found memories that I will treasure – even the crazy ones.  I guess truthfully – those will be the best memories because it will make me laugh. 

We buried her with a pack of KOOL Menthol cigarettes.  Seems appropriate huh?