Madeline M. Sewell

Madeline (Brown) Sewell, 100, died on Saturday, January 12, 2019, at Bethel Pointe Rehab and Nursing Facility in Muncie, Indiana. Madeline was born on November 19, 1918, in Morehead, Kentucky, to George W. and Sadie (Clark) Brown. She was the fifth of thirteen children. The Brown Family lived on a “big ole” farm-it was there where her lifetime story began which was shared throughout her 100 years with so much love and laughter. She came to Muncie at the age of 18 to live with a family and help with household duties and the care of their children. We suppose she was a “nanny”. After a while, she sought other employment and was hired at American Lawn Mower Company. As the saying goes, “You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl”-OH, SO TRUE! Madeline’s love for her old home place and all the Brown Family is LEGEND. Not long after arriving in Muncie, she met a young man from Tennessee who had also come north seeking employment. This young man, Melvin K. Sewell, would become her husband on July 3, 1942, in Long Beach, California, where they resided until October at which time Melvin was deployed to serve in WWII, in the United States Army. Madeline returned to Muncie to prepare for the arrival of their first child. She was among many young wives and mothers anxiously awaiting the return of their husbands after the war. Over the years, the young couple would be blessed with three more children. Melvin and Madeline shared 26 years of marriage until his death on August 12, 1968. Venturing back into the work world took her to the Ball Memorial Hospital’s Laundry Department, until her retirement after 15 years of employment. Getting to work was the problem, as she hadn’t driven for years. So, overcoming the fear of it all, Madeline enrolled in driver’s education, earned her driver’s license, bought a car, and made her own way! Madeline was an active member of the Eaton Avenue Southern Baptist Church, now known as Old Town Hill Southern Baptist Church, from the early 1950’s until she could no longer attend. She enjoyed her involvement with various activities within the church including Women’s Friendship Circle, The Happy Hearts, and the OTH chapter of the Red Hats Society. Though she didn’t talk much about her Christian commitment, she lived it well. Family and friends were important to Madeline and they counted on her fried chicken, chicken ‘n dumplings, lemon cheesecake, and her hospitality – and she always came through, never wanting to disappoint anyone in those areas. The year 2002 brought an unwelcome element into her life, a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Progression was slow allowing her to live on her own until November of 2012 when she moved into her “apartment” at Bethel Pointe. Devastating as this was, she still had years of life, laughter and love to give and experience. Thank you to some very special people – Carrie, Bree, Morgan, Rachel, and Aaron and many more for the care you gave your “Maddy”. In the last six years, you have made her life as comfortable, safe, and fun as possible. Left to cherish her memory and hopefully to live well, laugh often, and love much are her daughters, Sandra (husband, Bill) Shady, Muncie, Indiana, Connie (husband, Don) Terry, Yorktown, Indiana, and Pamela (husband, David) Painter, Parker City, Indiana; her ten grandchildren, Karen (husband, Craig) Standish, Kris (wife, Jennifer) Shady, Dana Monroe, Dawn (husband, Randy) Marmon, Greg (wife, Holly) Terry, Amy (husband, Bruce) Mahoney, Emily (husband, Kevin) Parkins, Elizabeth (husband, Rob) Hill, Matthew (wife, Chasity) Jones, and Mendy (husband, Tom) Montgomery; twenty-seven great-grandchildren, Nathan (wife, Amanda) Bowman, Megan (husband, Justin) Bilyeu, Kaitlin (fiancé, David Brogdon) Marmon, Lathan (wife, Brittany) Sewell, Kelsey Mahoney, Brayden Wright, Kayla (husband, David) Bennett, Nathan Shady, Ashley Marmon, Grant Terry, Griffin Wright, Alexandria Monroe, Reilly Parkins, Jacob Terry, Lauran Hill, Samuel Mahoney, Nicholas Shady, Brittany Monroe, Madison Terry, Alton Monroe, Raygen Edwards, Summer Hill, Caleb Standish, Julia Shady, Clayton Hill, and Aiden and Seth Montgomery; five great-great-grandchildren, Mya Bowman, Rustin and Keegan Brogdan, Hailey Bowman, and Jameson Bilyeu; her siblings, Geneva Whittle, Claude Brown, and Fred Brown; brother-in-law, Alvis Sewell; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one son, Bobby J. Sewell in November of 2014; siblings, Willie, Ernest, Grace, Flora, Geraldine, Juanita, Harold, and the twins, Wilma and Wilford. Family and friends may call from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, at Old Town Hill Southern Baptist Church, 3000 South Burlington Drive, Muncie, Indiana 47302. Services to honor Madeline’s life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 17, 2019, at Old Town Hill Southern Baptist Church with Pastor Bruce Reynolds and Craig Standish officiating. Entombment will follow in Elm Ridge Memorial Park. Because of Madeline’s tireless work on the completion of the new sanctuary in 1989, especially in the staining of the beams used to form a cross on the ceiling, memorial contributions may be made to Old Town Hill Southern Baptist Church Building Fund, 3000 South Burlington Drive, Muncie, Indiana 47302. Elm Ridge Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.elmridgefuneralhome.com.