MS. MARY BELL EMANUEL's Obituary
Mary Bell Emanuel
Born in Clayton, Alabama to Ozzie and Ezell Casterlow. She attended Blaine Elementary School, Garfield Middle School, and graduated from North Eastern High School in Detroit, in January 1962.
On August 17, 1963, she married Dennis Emanuel and shortly thereafter, relocated to Boston, Massachusetts to find work. They lived at 110 Dartmouth Street, during which time she gave birth to her firstborn, Andre Denard on June 14, 1964, who preceded her in death.
After not finding sufficient work, they returned to Detroit, where Dennis found a job working for Ford Motor Company in December 1964. They rented a home at 7020 Lothrop on Detroit’s west side. In December of 1967, Mary gave birth to her second son, Derek Dante. In 1970, they moved to 13983 Ardmore, where they raised their two sons.
In September 1987, she and Dennis divorced after 24 years of marriage. Shortly thereafter, she was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness and participated in her faith with her sister Fannie and husband Alvin for several years, even spending time with her younger sister Eddridge (Jean), traveling between Michigan and Georgia.
During her final years, she stayed with Derek and his wife Latonya, due to Mary’s diminishing health and cognitive decline. In 2020, Mary was diagnosed and treated for uterine cancer. In 2023, the cancer returned and rapidly metastasized to various parts of her body. On July 19, 2024 at 10:48 AM, Mary lost her fight with cancer and went the way of her ancestors to await her Messiah’s voice, calling her from the grave. Mary leaves behind her son Derek (Latonya), grand-son D’Andre, sisters Fannie and Jean, brother Ozzie, step-grandchildren LaToya and Christopher, and a host of step-great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews.
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