Ella Mae Brooks Greene

Our Beloved Ella Mae Brooks Greene (Memaw) earned her Angel wings on Friday April 28, 2023.  She was born in Newport, TN on August 18, 1924 to the late Clydus Brooks and Leta Susan Gorrell. Ella has rejoined with her loving husband Benjamin Parker Greene, who preceded her in death nearly 35 years ago. She leaves behind her three children, Dorothy Mae Greene, Parker Maurice Greene and wife JoAnn, and Teresa Greene McBride and husband Bill; six grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren; sisters, Fredricka Spann and Lavanda Trentham; brothers, Charles Brooks and I.N. Brooks; and several nieces and nephews. Ella was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and brothers, Bobby and Curtis Brooks.

In Memaws astonishing 98 years of life she accomplished so many things. In the early 40’s she learned the craft of being a seamstress when she started sewing parachutes for the Paratroopers during WW2. She took that skill and used it for so many things over the remainder of her life. She was employed by several places in Alamance County including Crumpton Upholstery and Boston Cleaners. She would also do many additional projects while at home siting at her sewing machine for hours reupholstering or handcrafting cushions, curtains, and quilts.  It was nothing for her to call you up and ask you to come see her and when you got there, she would be patiently waiting to hand you a quilt she had made for you or one of her great grandchildren.

In 1988, she put over 400 hours into making a quilt for the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU) where she won a first-place ribbon for her efforts. That quilt was one of her proudest accomplishments. It was hanging in Eastlawn Baptist Church where she was the oldest member, in a frame that her grandson Chris McBride hand built for years. It has been taken down and it will cover her casket in leu of a casket spray. She also handcrafted the pew cushions and the curtains of Eastlawn Baptist Church, and they are still there today. When she wasn’t sewing, she would spend her time volunteering for numerous things. She spent 10 years of her life volunteering for meals on wheels, reading to elderly patients at White Oak Manor, and helping with the Boys and Girl Scouts of America.

Our Memaw loved gardening. When the weather was nice you could always “catch” her outside mowing, pruning her many rose bushes, and making sure her flower beds were always up to her expectations. That also included making sure her bird baths and bird feeders were always full. When she wasn’t doing outside work, she loved making ceramics. If you were to walk into any room in her house, there is something beautiful that she made that would always catch your eye. One of her prized ceramic possessions is a gorgeous carousel. Its very detailed and even has a wind-up music box that plays carousel music. She also enjoyed making Chrismon Ornaments in her spare time.

Another thing you could always count on with Memaw is every year on your birthday you would get a phone call and on the other end of the line she was singing Happy Birthday. She did this for every family member and even the members of her church. Her heart was so big, and she was so full of life. Her faith and love for the Lord shined as bright as any star in the sky. If you knew her your whole life or had just met her, she would grab your hand and pray with you over anything. She brought a feeling of Peace to this world that you could feel just by being around her. Whether you were seeking her out for guidance or sitting at her table eating a fried bologna and egg sandwich or having a bottled coke with peanuts poured into it, there was a calming spirit always around her.

Ella Mae/Memaw will be dearly missed and irreplaceable to all that knew and loved her. We celebrate her life in knowing that she is in Heaven with Jesus wearing her bright red dress and high heels. We all know she was looking forward her new body and seeing her friends and family that gained their wings before her.

Ella Mae Greene born August 18, 1924 Went to her heavenly home April 28, 2023.

The funeral service will be held at 2:00pm Thursday, May 4, 2023 at Lowe Funeral Home Chapel by Rev. Ken Smith with the burial to follow at Alamance Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 12:30pm to 1:45pm Thursday prior to the service.

Memorials may be made to Living Free Ministries, 1230 Walnut Grove Lane, Snow Camp, NC 27349. You may watch the service online and send condolences to www.lowefuneralhome.com.