Marie Crumble's Obituary
Tennessee NativeBorn at home in Jamestown, Tennessee, Lela cherished her first born daughter, Marie. Four years later little Betty joined the family. Marie was thrilled with her baby sister and the two were inseparable growing up in east Tennessee. The two sisters were known as Crash (Marie) and Dash (Betty). Though Marie always had a bruise on her somewhere, she was never concerned about it.The family lived in the back country and the girls walked to school daily. Marie, though shy, was one of the friendliest girls once she got to know you. At first she seemed like the average kid, but she was gifted with a great imagination and the patience of Job. No matter what age Marie was, she could sit for hours making mud pies to entertain children in her company. Kay, Vicki and Frankie, Marie’s cousins, chuckle when they remember how they would go in grandmother’s front door and out the back in their haste to visit Betty and Marie – because that was where the fun was. The twenty year age gap was not relevant! Marie could create and entertain with simple things – even a plain piece of paper. She felt great joy and accomplishment crafting a zoo with sticks, twigs and plastic animals complete with hedges and walkways – her make-believe was unbelievable.Marie NiceNo one could say that Marie was a disciplinarian because she had her own ways with people and pets. When their new dog was being wild, she assessed the problem and returned with a huge bone saying, “This will take care of him”. She was the master of redirection. Her spirit of contentment was contagious as she lived an example of love and compassion toward others. Even if she disagreed, she would simply and softly say “no” and that was it; her mood was never offensive. A friend, who held Marie in the highest esteem, felt that she was the “sweetest person she had ever met in her life”. New vocabulary was coined in her honor – if a woman was exceptionally good and kind, people would say she was “Marie nice”.Spiritual OptimistNorthwood Baptist Church, led by Brother Barry, was her spiritual home. She rarely missed his services and appreciated the way he made his message so easy for her to understand. Her sweet delicate spirit endeared her to everyone.Marie embraced every second in life. She was an independent woman who never complained or focused on the negative. In her calm and graceful way, she found worth everywhere and in everything. She was appreciative of the world around her, in her quiet, no fuss way – ever the optimist.Cookie ConsciousOne food was her hallmark – cookies. She baked cookies every week – no matter what. Marie found secret hiding places for her cookies, the whereabouts only shared with that special recipient. If she had forgotten to replenish the stash, she would try to sneak the cookies into the undisclosed location. Even though she was very short of breath just days before she passed away, Marie still wanted to make the weekly cookie batch to keep the cookie monsters in her life satisfied.Childless MotherKids had great respect for her and she knew exactly how to encourage children’s positive behavior. Marie showed rather than told; redirected rather than scolded. She kept their confidences and remained a child at heart her entire life. Marie never forgot how to play – imagine hosting an all boy tea party. You had to see it to believe it! ‘Magic with children’ Marie could teach anyone how to be the best mother.Quirky Sports FanMarie liked the Titans even though she knew nothing about football. She thought the replay was another play and didn’t understand the concept of a television rerun. She was ecstatic when she thought her team scored twice in a row and doubly sad when they fumbled twice in a row! She was a unique sports fan – cheering for the clock, “Come on clock!”, and rooting for the underdog with comments like, “I think they are really trying hard”.WorkMarie was a smart lady who was a hard worker. She started working as a machine operator at the U.S. Tobacco Company in her early thirties and devoted over thirty-six years of service to the business. She was loved and respected by her colleagues. Life’s LegacyPracticing unconditional love and accepting everything on life’s roller coaster in a state of grace, Marie was peace personified. She never felt sorry for herself. There was no sadness about Marie – even dying didn’t seem to be a big deal.Knowing that she did not like to be waited on, not long before her death she said, “I hope when its time for me to go, I just go”. Marie was blessed - she got her wish.Marie Crumble passed away at the age of 84 in Nashville, Tennessee. She was predeceased by her mother, Lela M. Darrow; and is survived by her sister Betty Crumble; cousins, Tom Darrow, Kay Wright, Vicki Sharpe and Frankie Hill. There was a special place in her heart for all members of Northwood Baptist Church.
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