My Mamaw Passed Away Today

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

I am thankful that my Mamaw passed away today without suffering very long. We found out on Friday she had lymphoma and a spot on her liver and she left the hospital under the care of Hospice on Saturday. Today, surrounded by her family, she took her last breaths before resting in the arms of God. We know she is in Heaven and we know she is telling our Papaw, "Hello" for all of us grandkids. It was nice to talk with my cousins today and discover that they miss Papaw just like I do!

About 20 years ago, after Amy was born and Mamaw remarried, we decided it was time to start doing Christmas Eve at my mom's and dad's instead of the Canton Christmases we had done for my first 22 years of life. I've always missed those Christmas Eves but realized as you grow up the family dynamic changes and everyone has to adjust. I know that my cousins have all stayed close to Mamaw, mostly because they all live on the same property, so I know this will be more of an adjustment for them.

This past Christmas, my cousin Missy went out of her way to make sure I was at the Christmas Party they had at an old movie theatre in Canton. Of course, I took my camera, and after many moans and groans from all those I made pose, I came away with some wonderful photos of my Mamaw and all my aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Little did any of us guess that those would be some of the last photos taken of Mamaw. I thank God that he gave me the chance to reconnect with her before calling her home. She was very special to me. I will always remember that she taught me to crochet and that she made all of us kids granny square stockings ... and she filled them up, too! Below are a couple more of the pictures I had the honor of taking this past Christmas.



Added 6/9/09: Mamaw's Obituary

Bertha Mae Woodard Trull

Bertha Mae Woodard "Bert" Trull, age 84, of 125 Spring House Drive in the Dutch Cove Community went to be with her Lord and Savior surrounded by her loving family on Monday, June 8, 2009, at her residence.

A native of Swain County, she was the daughter of the late Crawford and Emma Tabor Woodard. She was also preceded in death by two previous husbands, Rollins Cook, who died in 1962 and Scott Burnett, who died in 1985; five brothers, Bill, Luther, Paul, Milton, and Robert Woodard; and a grandson, Jeff Clontz. She was member of Dutch Cove Baptist Church. She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Bert was an avid bowler and a member of the Senior Bowling Leaque. She participated in the Senior Olympics where she was a medal winner for several events.

She is survived by her husband of 20 years, Carroll Trull of Canton; a son, Buford Cook and his wife, Joyce Abbott Cook, of Canton; two daughters, Patricia Cook Shipman and her husband, G. L., of Canton and Sandy Cook Case and her husband, Ronnie, of Etowah; four stepdaughters, Glenda Burnett Burke and her husband, Paul, of Clyde, and Sandra Clontz and her husband, J. C., of Canton, Nancy of Cherokee, Sherry of Atlanta; a stepson, Dennis Trull of Sylva; two sisters, Ruth Byrd of Winston Salem and Hattie Southard of Gastonia; a brother, Oscar Woodard of Boone; 14 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-granddaughter.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2009, at the Canton Chapel of Wells Funeral Home with the Reverend Ed Lowder and the Reverend Roy Houston officiating. Burial will follow at Crawford/Ray Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be grandsons, Richie and Danny Case, Russ Cook, Bobby Moore, Dewayne Mann, and Mark Pace. At other times, the family will be at the home of G. L. and Patricia Shipman, 78 Spring House Drive in the Dutch Cove Community of Canton.

Memorials may be made to Care Partners Hospice Memorial Fund, P. O. Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813 or to one's favorite charity.