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Courtesy Stancil Reunion Archive |
Mamie Alma Stancil, the sixth child and fourth daughter of George Ira and Eva Ann Mercer Stancil, was born on March 27, 1913, in Johnston County, North Carolina. Her childhood on a tobacco farm instilled in her a strong work ethic; she learned to swim in the spring hole, plucked feathers from geese for feather beds, and could even hitch up mules and drive a buggy. Mamie graduated from Glendale High School in Johnston County in 1932.
After her father's passing in 1935, Mamie, encouraged by her sister Vazelle, embarked on a new path, enrolling in Peggy’s School of Beauty Culture and Swedish Massage of Wilson, NC, graduating in April 1936. She soon found a need for a hairdresser in Farmville, NC, and moved there, quickly establishing herself as the town's premier beautician. The 1940 Census recorded her as a lodger with Pearl Johnston on N. Green St. in Farmville, managing a beauty shop and working sixty hours a week with an income of $910. Mamie dedicated over thirty-five years to her beauty shop before her retirement.
On December 28, 1941, Mamie married Edward Gerrel Carraway at the George Ira Stancil Homeplace in Johnston County. Her brother-in-law, the Rev. Julius Nevel Stancil, performed the ceremony in the front room, with Norma playing the piano and Reba singing "I Love You Truly."
Eddie, born July 21, 1908, was the third oldest son of John Thomas and Mollie Johnson Carraway and had seven siblings. Eddie was an avid fisherman and skilled at frying his catches and making delicious hush puppies. They enjoyed spending a month at the beach each summer, a tradition Mamie cherished. However, Mamie was "crushed" when Eddie lost a diamond ring she had given him for Christmas during a fishing trip.
Mamie was a loving and supportive presence for her family. When her niece Reba Stancil married Lawrence House on March 16, 1946, Mamie served as the Matron of Honor.
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In January 1951, after her brother Ralph's family was involved in a severe car accident, Mamie took in his daughters, Georgeanne and Renn, for the entire school year while their mother, Ethel, recovered. During this time, Mamie battled shingles but never let it hinder her care for the girls, even taking them shopping for school clothes in Raleigh with Vazelle. A memorable summer in 1951 saw Mamie, Vazelle, Georgeanne, and Renn accompany Bob Dennison and their mother, Eva, on a trip to Philadelphia to visit Dot and her sons, George and baby Warren. The return journey by train saw Mamie cleverly wrapping her black cocker spaniel, Jackie, like a baby, successfully smuggling him aboard until the porter discovered the canine passenger near North Carolina, agreeing to keep quiet as long as Jackie remained so.
Mamie also took the girls to family reunions, arriving early to help sweep the yard, a common practice at the time. Jackie became a protective companion for Georgeanne and Renn, even once scaring Ralph when he tried to wake them. Mamie was meticulous about keeping the girls' hair fixed, and she encouraged Georgeanne to join the Brownies and took them trick-or-treating for the first time.
The Carraways drove Georgeanne and Renn back to Florida before Christmas, leaving Jackie with them while Mamie and Eddie traveled to Cuba. Mamie and Eddie frequently welcomed Georgeanne and Renn for visits, including a special Christmas in 1954 when Renn received a walking doll and Georgeanne a ruby ring.
Courtesy Stancil Reunion Archive |
In the summer of 1960, Mamie embarked on a month-long trip out west with Ralph, Ethel, Renn, Hale, and Harold in a new white 1960 Ford station wagon. Before leaving, Mamie energetically helped Ralph with the last of his tobacco crop, ensuring it was ready for market. During their travels, Mamie reconnected with cousins Herb Stancil in Amarillo, Texas, Bill Stancil in San Diego, and Joe Stancil, Harry’s son, in Placerville, California. She also visited Harry’s daughters, Eleanor Joyce and Elizabeth, and stayed with Harry’s widow, Laura Eyler Sayer Stancil Bishop, who lived near Joe. Bill took them to Mexico, and they also visited their brother Leumos in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Upon their return to North Carolina just before the 1960 Reunion, Eddie expressed how much he had missed Mamie, vowing she would never be away for so long again.
Eddie passed away unexpectedly at 61 on June 26, 1970, in Farmville, and was buried in Maury Cemetery in Greene County, North Carolina.
After Eddie's passing, Mamie found a new chapter of love. Her brother Ralph’s sister-in-law, Ruby Hales Brown Blair, died in Florida on September 22, 1971. Mamie attended the funeral with her brother Emmette and his wife Dessie, where she found common ground with Ruby’s widower, Charles Laffayette Blair, both having lost beloved spouses. Their long-distance relationship blossomed, and Charles gave Mamie a string of pearls for Christmas that year. Their romance continued, and on April 23, 1972, Mamie and Charles married at the First Methodist Church in Farmville, NC. Mamie wore a mint green coat and dress ensemble with a matching hat and shoes, while Charles wore a light gray suit with a yellow rose boutonnière. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Hunter.
Mamie maintained her Farmville home but moved to Ocala, Florida, to be closer to Charles, living just up the road from her brother Ralph and Ethel. Mamie was a devoted helpmate to Charles, often accompanying him during watermelon season, living in a travel trailer, boiling his work clothes on a small camp stove, and providing nutritious meals. She developed a fondness for watermelon-themed apparel and received many items with the fruit as gifts. Mamie also found joy in crocheting, reading, and watching TV, even crocheting baby Afghans for her great-nieces.
Mamie’s nurturing spirit continued throughout her life. When her niece Renn had her second child, Kip, Mamie cared for 18-month-old Darcee for almost two weeks, allowing Renn to recover from her C-section. Charles, too, played a significant role in the family, taking Hale, then five years old, back to Ocala by train after the 1951 accident. In 1967, Charles picked up Renn from the Tampa Airport and took her back when she left for her teaching job in Arizona, even slipping her a $20 bill as she boarded the plane.
Mamie attended her 50th Class Reunion from Glendale High School, alongside her first cousin Vernard Alvin Stancil. Charles, a devoted Yankee fan, and Mamie attended games in New York and watched all the televised games.
Courtesy Stancil Reunion Archive |
Charles passed away on November 30, 1990, at home in Florida, and was buried in Ocklawaha Community Cemetery in Weirsdale, Marion County, Florida. Mamie remained in Florida but made frequent trips to North Carolina to visit family and friends. Charles’s affectionate, albeit teasing, remark, "Now Doll, you’re talking when you should have been listening,” remained a fond memory.
Mamie faced health challenges in her later years, recovering from two broken hips and a broken arm. She lived in a nursing home for a time, then with Martha and Charlie Brown during her arm recovery, before ultimately moving to an assisted living facility and then back to a nursing home as her strength declined.
Mamie Alma Stancil Carraway Blair passed away at the age of 93 on April 2, 2006, at the Oak Hurst Nursing Center in Ocala. She was buried beside Charles Blair in the Ocklawaha Community Cemetery in Weirsdale, Florida, following a graveside service conducted by Rev. Douglas V. Moore of the First Christian Church. Many cousins from North Carolina traveled to Florida to honor her memory. Mamie was remembered for her loving spirit and devotion to family and friends, leaving a legacy of warmth and generosity.