Mabel Stenstrom passed away in her sleep, on early hours of Jul 22, 2021 at the La Vida Real Retirement Residence in El Cajon, CA. The previous evening she had been visited by most of her family and was resting peacefully.
Mabel Frances REED was born on Oct 17, 1917 in Crossville, TN, to Dr William Anderson and Emma Mabel ( WILLIAMS ) REED. Born two months premature, she spent her first months in the family oven, converted into an incubator by her doctor father. The family soon moved to Chattanooga, TN, where she grew up, eventually attending college there.
In 1943, during World War II she enlisted in the US Navy, with her boot camp training at Hunter College, New York City. Her first posting was at Oklahoma A&M University, Stillwater, OK. Her duty was a mail delivery driver. However, southern girls could not drive and Mabel was no exception! So she was next assigned as a platoon drill leader as a 3rd Class Specialist.
Her final duty station was the Marine Hospital at Asbury Park, NJ. Her duties there included lifeguard service, as a 2nd Class Specialist. Interestingly, at that time she did not know how to swim! She received her honorable discharge in 1945.
She returned to college and earned her teaching degree. While there she met her husband to be, US Army veteran Ralph VASQUEZ, a Panamanian national studying to be a language professor. They married on Dec 14, 1946, in Johnson City, IA, then moved to Greencastle, IN, where Ralph would complete his studies at DePauw University. While there, in 1948 their daughter Guille was born.
After graduation the family moved, first to Texas, where they both began their teaching careers. Then in 1952 they moved to Mexico City, where Ralph continued his studies in language development. While there, Mabel, bore twin sons, John & Mike. In 1955 the family moved back to Mission, TX, and resumed their teaching careers.
In about 1959 they began a series of yearly moves that took them first to Artesia, CA, then Escondido, CA, then Tijuana, BC, then Mexicali, BC, and finally to Calexico, CA. In 1964 she began her Calexico teaching career at Rockwood Elementary. She taught 3rd grade there until her move in the late 1960s to the new Jefferson Elementary as a reading specialist. Ralph passed away on Jan 2, 1965, and Mabel became the sole support of her family.
On Dec 23, 1968, Mabel married William STENSTOM, a businessman from El Centro, CA. Mabel moved to El Centro, CA, and together they ran the A&B Ambulance Service and the A&B Telephone Answering Service. During that entire time Mabel continued to teach at Jefferson Elementary in Calexico. Bill passed away on Jun 21, 1993.
In the 1980s and 1990s Mabel became active in several local civic organizations, including Worthy Matron of The Order of the Eastern Star, the VFW, The MWAN Military Women's Association, The American Legion 8 & 40, the California Retired Teachers Association and the Imperial Valley Master Chorale singers, where she performed in New York and toured Europe. In 2005 Mabel was selected to serve as honorary Grand Marshal in the San Diego Veteran's Day Parade. She rode in the lead convertible with her son John, eagerly waving to the large crowd.
Mabel moved in to an Independent Living Apartment at El Cajon's La Vida Real Retirement Community in October of 2003. She was very active there and made many new friends. She remained active there until a sudden stroke forced her to move to the Memory Care Section of La Vida Real in January of 2014. There she enjoying chair yoga, group sing alongs, the memory quiz activities and a weekly scenic drive offered to the residents. The last couple of years have been challenging for her as she has become blind in one eye, has difficulty with short term memory and has had to overcome Covid19.
She was preceded in death by her brothers William Reed and Charles Reed, and her daughter, Guille Tuttle. She is survived by her 100 year old sister Betty Woodard, her sons John ( Yolanda ) Vasquez and Mike ( Hilda ) Vasquez, son in law Rod Tuttle, 7 grand children, 6 great grand children, and 3 greatgreat grand children.
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