Mamie Harvard Harrell

Mamie Harvard Harrell passed away on Oct. 8, 2014, at Northwest Medical Center in Bentonville, Ark. In December, she would have been 102 years old. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Judy and Warren Cunningham of Springdale, Ark.; and her grandson, Kyle Cunningham of Los Angeles, Calif. Mamie was born Dec. 7, 1912, to Bud and Minnie Rice Harvard in Malvern, Ala. She had a sister, Effie Davis, and two brothers, Jack and Chester Harvard, all of whom preceded her in death. When she was 15 the family moved to Columbus, Ga., where she lived until 1982. As a teenager, she was baptized at the Baptist Tabernacle, and thereafter her association with the Baptist church and her Christian faith were an integral part of her life. In 1930, at age 18, she met and married Lyle Harrell. They both worked at the Bibb Mill in Columbus until he went off to war in the Pacific in 1941. After the war ended, they had their only child, Judy, in 1946. Mamie and Lyle were married for 52 years until his death in 1982. To her family, Mamie was the quiet, steady and faithful one. Throughout the Depression, she learned to be practical and creative. She was known for her wonderful ability to sew. She was also the one the family turned to when her father-in-law and then her mother needed a caretaker. After her husband passed away, Mamie lived with her daughter and son-in-law and got to travel a bit. She lived in Brandon, Miss., Orangeburg, S.C., Lunenburg, Mass., and finally Bentonville, Ark. She found many friends along the way, and in Massachusetts she discovered Big Papi and the Boston Red Sox. She loved those Sox. With her blessings of good health and independent spirit, she was able to drive until she was 90. She was her grandson's biggest fan and became known by his band as the "crew." She loved going to see him play. During her last years in assisted living, she became the "Oreo kid." We decided she could attribute her long life to Oreos and hot coffee. We will truly miss her sly comments and funny smile. She blessed our lives. Mamie will be interred at the Fayetteville National Cemetery, and a memorial service will be held Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m. at 901 NE Legacy Parkway in Bentonville. Condolences may be sent online through [email protected] or sent to Stockdale-Moody Funeral Services, 2898 W. Walnut St., Rogers, AR 72756.