Mable Marie Elder

Mable Marie Elder

Mable Elder, 87, long time resident of Everett, Washington, died peacefully at Somerset Memory Care and Assisted Living Facility on July 14, 2010. Mable was born in Uniontown, Kansas on October 24, 1922. She graduated from Uniontown High School, Fort Scott Community College and received her teaching credentials from Kansas State Teaching College. Before moving to Everett in 1955, she taught in Kansas at a one room schoolhouse, Iowa, and South Carolina. She also taught for many years in Everett.
Mable was preceded in death by HB Elder, her beloved husband of over 50 years; and her parents, Harry and La Verna Vanlandingham.
She is survived by her children, Gloria Anderson (Gary), of Prague, CZ, Gregg Elder (Barbara), of Everett, WA; her grandchildren, Traci Anderson (Mark), of Boston, MA, Tara Anderson, of San Francisco, CA, Rachael Elder, of Seattle, WA, Renee Elder, of Everett, WA; her brother, Gail Vanlandingham of Everett, WA; her sisters, Pauline Canion, of Austin, TX, Mary Ann McCarley, of McKinney, TX; and extended family members and friends.
Mable spent many years actively caring for HB through his various health problems. She was proactive in studying health and medical issues and a strong healthcare advocate.
Mable loved working in her sewing room creating craft projects and making clothes, which she shared with family and friends. Her granddaughters' dolls all had extensive wardrobes. She was an avid Seattle Mariners fan in good years and bad. Mable had a love of learning and embraced new technology e-mailing family and friends, researching online, and keeping up with everyone's activities through her Facebook page. She loved having family together and overfeeding them. Mable was dedicated to studying her Bible. She found joy and meaning pursuing these studies with the devoted members of her Sunday school class and the Senior Adult Ministry (SAM) group at Everett First Baptist.
As one of her grandchildren shared, "If I had to sum grandma up in just a few short phrases, it would be…First and foremost, she loved Jesus and loved her church. She always had an opinion and rarely kept it to herself and she was proud of her family and took joy in telling everyone about all the things they were doing."
Mable touched the lives of many people with her smile, laughter, and quick wit. She maintained her trademark sense of humor in good times and bad. Mable was deeply loved and will remain in our hearts and minds forever.
Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service at 1 p.m., Thursday, July 22, 2010, at First Baptist Church of Everett, 1616 Pacific Avenue.