Marietta Forlaw

Our beloved matriarch, teacher, Quaker, community volunteer, and occasional comedian, passed away on September 13, 2017 at Wellspring Retirement Community. She touched everyone whose life intersected with her zeal for happiness. Her remarkable journey was defined by extraordinary things, both large and small. Travels took her as far as the Great Pyramids. Hobbies included an award-winning knack for creating miniature houses. She had a lifelong love affair with strawberries, ice cream, and chocolate.
Marietta Mendenhall McLennan was born at her parents' home on East Bragg Street in Greensboro on August 26,1920, the day the 19th amendment took effect, giving women the right to vote. 97 years later, her reflections on the importance of this event were included in a book, "We the Resilient: Wisdom from Women Born Before Suffrage." The daughter of a Quaker homemaker and an enterprising businessman and community leader, she grew up during the Great Depression, one of the most painful chapters in American history. But the period helped her develop a willful insistence on positive thought, a theme that would dominate the rest of her days. A sign in her kitchen told all visitors in bold letters to "BE HAPPY."
She met her childhood sweetheart Henry Lewis Forlaw in elementary school. Their special friendship continued while she attended Greensboro College (later the University of North Carolina at Greensboro) and he served in the Army in World War II. They married in December 1945, a few weeks after he returned home from the war. Their 55-year marriage kept an anchor in Greensboro but would find Marietta traveling six continents and frequently entertaining friends and family at their North Myrtle Beach condominium. She taught school for five years, both first grade and kindergarten, later devoting her time to her family and a range of civic activities. The Forlaws had two daughters, Marietta Blair and Martha Ann, who brought them great joy and kept them on their toes.
Marietta was an active lifelong member of First Friends Meeting and served on the Board of Trustees of Guilford College for many years. She had many additional outside interests. She was president of the local YWCA, motivated by the organization's early support of integration. She also led the city garden club and spent hours assembling miniature rooms and dollhouses. She later donated an unrivaled collection of 125 Shirley Temple dolls to a museum in High Point.
Luck followed her everywhere. She could spot a four-leaf clover from yards away. Bingo cards suddenly filled when she sat down to play. In the 1950s, during a trip to New York, she and Henry were in the audience of "Name That Tune" and were chosen to be contestants because Marietta's striking red hair and vibrant yellow sweater made her stand out in the room. They won (of course), and their prize – a video camera – allowed Henry to chronicle the early years of their family. Her endless adventures entertained everyone, particularly the family members who joined along over a span of ten decades. Her sister Martha (Martie) Bynum of Durham shared the North Myrtle Beach vacation home with Marietta, and together they traveled the world. The daughters she raised would later help her settle into her golden years. She was a constant source of laughs – and chocolate – for her five grandchildren.
In January 2001, Henry passed away, only a few weeks after holding his first great-grandchild. Marietta continued her life journey in good spirit and charm – surrounded by friends and family and welcoming more great-grandchildren. She continued traveling. And learning. And teaching. And laughing, all the way, as she and the Quakers say, "in the Light."
Her life will be celebrated at 2 PM, October 14, 2017 in the Richardson Auditorium of WellSpring Retirement Center. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to First Friends Meeting or Guilford College. Online condolences may be offered at www.haneslineberryfuneralhomes.com. Hanes-Lineberry N. Elm chapel is assisting the Forlaw family.