Mabelle E. Stanford

Mabelle Edwardean Stanford, nee: Swayers, 89, passed in slumber early Monday morning on November 23, 2015, at the Clairemont Nursing Home Memory Care Wing in Eau Claire. She was born in Chicago to an Illinois Central Rail Road family. Belle grew up riding the rails between Chicago and her Great-grandparent’s summer home in Chetek, WI, where she met her future husband in 1941. Belle graduated from Wheaton Jr. College, which she attended from 1940 through 1944, taking the train home every weekend to work at the Central Chicago Post Office, assigned primarily to sorting official WWII correspondence. She later took a job at the Bell Telephone Company in downtown Chicago, where she won the title of “Miss Voice”. On November 20, 1948, Belle married Kenneth D. Stanford and continued to work as an operator until 1953, when they started a family. Through moves from Illinois to Indiana and then Wisconsin, Belle’s focus was always on tending to her four children and husband, where her talents in the kitchen were unmatched and unrivaled in their eyes. She will be remembered and missed by those who loved her, not only for her sense of style and delicious cooking, but also for her beautiful singing voice, teaching her children to appreciate great music being hilariously funny by accident (and graciously laughing at herself), attempting to overwinter even the ugliest geraniums indoors, and always seeing the very best in everyone, especially her children. Belle is preceded in death by her parents, Adam L. Sawyers and Sarah “Eddie” (Murphy) Sawyers. Mabelle (Muh-belle) is survived by her husband of 67 years, Kenneth; children, Randall D. (Sandra) Stanford of Madison, WI, Cynthia Stanford (John E.) Suppon of Eau Claire, Pamela L. Munn of Loveland, CO, and Gerald L. (Carol Courtney) Stanford of Schaumburg, IL; grandchildren, Erin Hodge, Trevor (Rita) Munn, Ciara A. Stanford, Rian L. Stanford, Meghan Courtney, Michael Courtney and Kevin Courtney; two first cousins, William and Kenneth Sawyers. In lieu of flowers or memorials, the family would encourage you to contact your area Memory Care facilities to see if some needy residents could use undergarments or nightwear, as these items get worn quickly by heavy duty washing machines…it is almost Christmas, the perfect time to give.

Service Information