Obituary
Ramona Sue Cordell
Cora Dona Bell Ramona Sue Brummitt, affectionally known as Sue, born April 2, 1935, passed away peacefully in her home at 88 years old when her precious heart finally gave out on March 8, 2023.
At the time of her passing she was surrounded by her three children and their spouses, Susan and husband Richard Ingham of the Village of Country Club Hills, Lady Lake, FL; her only son, Collin and wife Alisa Cordell of Brunswick, GA; youngest daughter, Debra and husband Forrest Swindall of the Village of Polo Ridge, The Villages, FL. Also by her side were numerous Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren, and lifelong friend of the family, Victoria Quigley. Other close family members not able to be there gave their love and support via Facetime, videos and phone calls. Sue also received spiritual support from local clergy with the time spent reading from the bible, praying and singing Amazing Grace. We know this special time was of great comfort to her in her final hours, and we are stenghtened in the knowledge our Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Great Great Grandmother, now rests peacefully in God’s hands.
Sue was born to a coal mining family on top of Sandy Ridge Mountain near Richlands, Wise County, Virginia, to Claude Brummitt and Ola Hester (Wilson) Brummitt. She was the youngest of five children. Her father died of black lung when she was five years old. Her two oldest brothers, Jackie Leon and Patton also died at a young age. She and her brother Alfred Brummitt and sister Dean Garvin were raised by their Mother Ola and continued to be very close throughout their lives, never too far away from each other.
She was married in Pikeville, KY to her late husband, Walter Eugene Cordell of Bluefield/War, West Virginia for 57 years. It didn’t take them long to move to northern Virginia (Alexandria), where their first child was born. Being young, their love for adventure soon took them on the road for a few years. They lived in Indiana, then Ohio, where their two younger children were born, and then Michigan. However, they made their way back to the Washington, D.C. area, Virginia and Maryland, where as young parents, they lived and raised their children, enjoying close family and friends with simple get togethers, such as picnics, road trips, dances and playing cards and poker.
As their love for adventure and being near family never changed, upon their retirement they moved to Brunswick, GA to be near their Son’s family, taking their youngest daughter and her two children with them, where the “living was easy” and many good years were enjoyed by all in the great state of Georgia.
Upon her husband’s passing Sue made one last move with her daughter Debra and husband Forrest, to The Village of Polo Ridge. Although now beginning to decline in health, Ramona Sue thrived and was able to truly enjoy her last years in the Florida sunshine with palm trees and more family. Once she learned she could play “Texas Holdem” at nearby Laurel Manor Recreation Center, she went to play as many Wednesdays and Saturdays as she could. She was treated kindly and sweetly by everyone with whom she sat and was known to supply the players with Payday and Heath candy bars. She was affectionally teased and often welcomed with “Hey here comes our easy money.” RJ and Elaine, as well as others, took good care of her and she cherished her time there as well as, upon occasion, winning. The day she received the news about her heart she left the doctor’s office and said, “Well I guess this is my last rodeo” and made plans to have one last Saturday poker game and although it was not to be, she received a lovely gift from her poker friends and it was very special to her.
Sue’s greatest passion was her sewing. She had a fully equipped sewing room and spent countless hours being creative. She made her own clothes and matching hats. It was her hats that became her signature look, garnering favorable comments wherever she went. But she was perhaps best known for her unique aprons, no two were the same. She never sold them preferring only to give them to friends, family, neighbors; even taking them to doctor and dentist appointments to hand out.
She was the epitome of a southern Grandmother. She had seven Grandchildren, her oldest, Billy Davis of Golden, CO; NeHi Barry and husband Sam of Brunswich, GA; Collin Cordell Jr., and wife Jennifer of Murphy, NC; Michael Law of Brooklyn, NY; Christopher Ingham of Manchester, NH; Taylor Grimes and husband Kyle of Brunswick, GA; Kristy Lynn Cordell of Brunswick, GA. She also had six Great Grandchildren, Bruce Hutchinson and wife Kayla of Conyers, GA; Kaitlin, Makayla and Kade of Brunswick, GA; Emma Cordell of Brunswick, GA; Bailee Taylor and husband Trey of Oklahoma City, OK. And three Great Great Grandchildren, Avery, Jaxton, and Myles of Oklahoma City, OK. She also had six nieces and nephews.
Her influence and love was monumental to her Grandchildren. She was known as Grandma to some and Honey to others and was always there to love and take care of them in the summer when school was out, with one or two being there from birth right through high school and with all being the greatest part of her life.
It was her silent, yet strong sweet nurturing ways that were the “center of all our lives” and the glue that held the whole family together, as we are now left asking ourselves “what will we do without her,” while knowing how fortunate we were to have had her in our lives.
*A private celebration of her life with family will be held on May 14, 2023 in Brunswick, GA. Arrangements entrusted with BALDWIN BROTHERS Funeral & Cremation Society-Spanish Springs, 352-430-1449. Sentiments are encouraged at www.baldwincremation.com.
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