Catherine Ardell Gramlich of Melbourne, Florida, entered into rest on November 18, 2021; she was 76 years old. Ardell, as she was known to all, was born to Howard E. Ammerman and Betty Jo (Irber) Ammerman on February 21, 1945, in Alexandria, Louisiana. As a child of a military officer, Ardell lived all over the world before returning to her mother’s hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas. She married John W. Gramlich on April 22, 1965. Ardell’s working life spanned several professions over the years, including managing the Adagio House of Plaster, working in management for Wyatt’s Cafeteria, and eventually retiring as a teacher’s assistant in special education. In 1988, the Gramlichs moved to Greenwood and spent many years there. In 2014, after the youngest of the children entered college, Ardell relocated to Florida to care for her ailing mother. She was preceded in death by her husband of 37 years, John Gramlich, her father and her mother. She is survived by her six daughters, Sandra Gramlich of Fort Smith, Catherine Baltz (John) of Fayetteville, Cassaundra McGee of Lavaca, Ashley Gramlich (Sean Parker) of Fort Smith, Clarajean Gramlich of Fayetteville, and Amanda Gramlich (Sam Fuentes) of Fort Smith, her sister, Lois Long of Orlando, Florida, and six grandchildren, Chloe Peoples, Rhys McGee, Orion and Johnny Parker, and Faith and Marcos Fuentes. The family would like to express their gratitude to Ardell’s many friends at the Indian River Colony Club who embraced her and stood by her side during her fight with cancer and to Donna Stewart, for her kind and professional care of Ardell in her final days.
Visitation will be held at 5:30 p.m. CST November 30 at Edwards Funeral Home of Fort Smith to be followed by a Rosary service at 6:30 p.m. CST. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. CST December 1 at Holy Cross Cemetery. A Celebration of Life service will be held at the Indian River Colony Club Chapel in Melbourne, Florida, on December 8 at 4 p.m. EST. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a memorial contribution be made to the American Cancer Society.
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