Annabel Baird Stonecipher
Nov. 26, 1922-Nov. 17, 2021.
Annabel (Anne) Stonecipher, 98, formerly of Crawfordsville, died at her home in Seminole, Florida, Nov. 17, 2021. Her daughter, Barbara, and son, Philip, were at her side until her passing.
Born in Ridge Farm, Illinois, in 1922, to Lester and Frona McQuillin Baird, the family moved to Veedersburg, in 1930 following the death of her father in a 1926 farming accident. She married Cecil Stonecipher in 1941 and Crawfordsville became their home following his discharge in 1945. They wintered in Seminole since 1982 and moved permanently there in 1996. Cecil died in 2004.
Surviving is daughter Barbara (Gerald) Bell of Urbana, Illinois, and two sons, Robert (Christine Sobrido), Punta Gorda and Philip (Jackie), North Fort Myers. Also surviving are grandchildren, Angela Evans (Jeff Kulka) of Columbia, South Carolina, Monica (Roberto) Alvarez of Chapin, South Carolina, Jason Bell of Savoy, Illinois, Erin (Darin) Wike of Manor, Texas, Ashley Stonecipher of Mariana, Florida, Philip (Morgan) Stonecipher II of New Orleans; Michael (Corina) Stonecipher of Winter Garden, Florida, Andrew (Sarra) Stonecipher of Canyon Lake, Texas, Jake (Abby) Stonecipher of Sault St. Marie, Michigan and Katie (Shane) Curran of Wahiawa, Hawaii. Seven great-grandchildren also grieve her loss, Taylor, Katie, Nate, Corban, Mason, Savannah and her namesake Annabel who will have a sibling in February.
Anne was preceded in death by all three of her siblings, Margaret Lightle, Mary Lightle and William Baird and her daughter-in-law Barbara Williams Stonecipher.
Her ashes will be interred with her husband sometime in the summer of 2022 in Oak Hill Cemetery, Crawfordsville.
During the past two years Annabel had been dealing with increasing dementia and blindness from myopic degeneration, but she continued to enjoy life to its fullest. She was truly a member of the Greatest Generation. During the war she worked full time but quit when her husband returned to become a full-time mother. She and the thousands like her were the model for the perfect mothers of family sitcoms at the time. She was the perfect mother. It was a shock to her oldest to learn in his college years that the family income was at poverty level, but she and her husband built a ranch style home with a full basement on an acre of land. She maintained a large garden which provided fresh, frozen and canned vegetables all year. On that single acre, they also raised their own beef and chickens, and there were always two cars in the drive because she and dad worked together to maintain, repair and reuse what they had available.
Although it seemed an unfair amount was donated to church dinners and school events, she made the best wild raspberry, blackberry and cherry pies and we could not wait until mushroom season. She was unmatched among her peers. She made time to help her husband, a Pack Leader, by being a Cub Scout den mother and was also a leader for several years of a Girl Scout troop. Mom also gave her time to serve as leader of the church youth fellowship at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church during Barb and Phil’s high school years. She was a seamstress, as well, and made her daughter’s prom dress and wedding dress, plus a box of outfits for a Tiny Tears doll given at Christmas. We love the photos of our new matching Christmas pajamas that were made for years as well as our clown costumes made from dyed feed sacks for Halloween that later the grandchildren used.
An avid card player, she belonged to several card clubs playing the popular games of the time, Euchre, Canasta, Samba, Pinochle and Pokeno and she enjoyed Bingo nights. Despite a limited income, she and her husband traveled throughout Indiana and the Midwest with rebuilt campers to fish the ponds for bass and bluegill.
They greatly enjoyed life in Florida in a camper and later a double wide trailer. After Cecil’s death she once confessed that it was sometimes depressing to see her third circle of friends dying, particularly since so many were so young, only in their 70’s. She became the matriarch of the park and was known and loved as “Miss Anne.” She will be missed.
Visit the online guestbook at ReeseFuneral.com.
A celebration of life was held Friday, Nov. 26 at the E. James Reese Funeral Home, Seminole, Florida. It would have been her 99th birthday.
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