Tombstone Tuesday

Audele Grace Ferrer Audele Grace Ferrer was born to Olin Ferrer and Agnes Grace in 1922. She attended Blessed Sacrament grade school alongside her future husband, George “Buddy” Mariencheck. They chose different high schools; she went to Catholic (now Immaculate Conception), he went to Christian Brothers. But by 1941, when Dell was only 19 years old, they were married. That same year, they also bought their own home – an adorable two bedroom on Baltic Street. Because they were both underage (21 was the legal age at the time), they had to go before the courts and be declared adults to complete the purchase. At the time, this was such a big deal, it was written about in the newspaper! During World War II, Dell worked as a clerk at Sears & Roebuck, but she quit in 1945 before her first child, Tom (George Thomas, Jr.) was born. Over the next few years, missed developmental milestones and a variety of symptoms lead to a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis for young Tommy – likely the result of a ridiculously long labor.  So Dell spent her time caring for Tom, and for her daughter, Joyce, and second son, Gary. When she wasn’t running her household, Dell loved to socialize! Her daughter, Joyce, remembers that every Thursday night was “Date Night.” No matter what! Whether it was just the two of them, or they met up with friends or family – if it was a Thursday, they were out on the town. She also loved to read. “Mamma was always riding me about the joy of reading!” said Joyce. Thursday? Probably.  Sober? Probably not. Tragically, an unknown allergy took Dell from her family far too soon. In January of 1979, she developed a head cold she just couldn’t shake. When over-the-counter medicines failed to offer relief, she visited her doctor, who prescribed ampicillin, a broad-spectrum penicillin used to treat bacterial infections.  Her body reacted violently; after only a few days, she was admitted to the hospital and within a week, the ICU. She passed away on February 4th surrounded by her family.

Dell with infant Joyce

Personal Data		Tombstone Data
Birth:	9 Jan 1922	City:	Memphis, TN
Marriage:	1 Sep 1941 to George Mariencheck	Cemetery:	Calvary
Death:	4 Feb 1979	Section:
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