Mrs. Drunell Norwood

Martha “Drunell” Norwood, 93, of Navasota, Texas passed away Thursday, September 12th at CHI St. Joseph Regional Hospital in Navasota, surrounded by family. Visitation with family and friends will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 pm on Monday, September 16th at Nobles Funeral Chapel. A celebration of her life will be held at 10:00 am, Tuesday, September 17th, also at the funeral home, with interment following in Oakland Cemetery. Rev. Faber McMullen will officiate. Arrangements are under the direction of Nobles Funeral Chapel.

Martha Drunell Strapps was born January 7, 1926, to William Harrison and Eva Mae (Marlow) Strapps. She married William “Lester” Norwood on December 24, 1955 and they remained married until his death in December 1990. Drunell was the mother of six children, Evelyn, Nellie “Tootie”, Frances, John, Charles “Ray”, and Ronnie. She was also blessed with numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Her family was her pride and joy. She made sure she recognized each and every one of them on their birthday each year and she insisted on cooking Christmas dinner and celebrating at her house every year until just this last Christmas.

Drunell received an elementary education and then stayed home to help care for her siblings. She began working at an early age and held a variety of jobs during her life, but she is best known for her job as a waitress at the Bluebonnet Cafe in downtown Navasota and as a babysitter, even running her own in-home daycare in her later years. She is lovingly known as “Granny” or “Granny Bump” by her family and the many children she kept over the years. She finally retired from baby sitting in 2006, at the age of 80.

Granny loved making handmade and homemade items for her loved ones. Some of her favorite items to make and give away were heart-shaped jewelry holders and fabric-covered photo albums. She would make each item unique and special to match the loved one’s personality and likes. She also loved making cookies, especially chocolate chip and chocolate no-bake, her special Kool-aid (because no one else’s tasted quite like Granny’s), and “white” noodles for her children, grandchildren, and bonus family members she gained over the years. She also graced her family members with her rather yummy homemade pickles and pickled carrots.

In most recent years, Drunell was best known for the beautiful quilts she made. She hand cut each piece of fabric and sewed them together. She made sure that all of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are proud owners of a quilt specially made from sheer love for each one of them. Many of her friends also received one of these very special gifts from her.

Drunell Norwood is survived by daughters Evelyn Matney of Mesquite, Nellie “Tootie” Finke and Frances Crawford, both of Navasota; and sons Johnny (Vickie) Jones of Huntsville and Ronnie (Brenda) Norwood of Santa Fe; fifteen grandchildren, Dewayne (Marti) Matney, Darlene (Todd) Hertel, Kathy (Chuck) Taylor, Rhonda (Kenny) Kirkpatrick, Kimberly Finke, Stacey (Watson) Friedrich, Michael (Crystal) Norwood, James “Scooter” Crawford, Greg (Casey) Jones, Darrell Jones, Brandon (Jennifer) Finke, Jared (Ashley) Jones, Ronnie Norwood, Jr., and Garrett Norwood; brothers George “T.C.” Hirsch and Warren “Butch” Hirsch, both of Plantersville; and sisters Ann Nobles and Sissy (Steve) Savensky, both of Navasota, and Irene Andrus of Jersey Village; numerous great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

Serving as pallbearers are her grandsons, Dewayne Matney, Michael Norwood, Scooter Crawford, Darrell Jones, Brandon Finke, Jared Jones, Ronnie Norwood, Jr., and Garrett Norwood.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Lester Norwood; son Ray Jones; grandson Kevin Watson and a great-great grandson. She was also preceded in death by two sons-in-law, Rayburn Finke and Jearl Matney, as well as seven brothers and two sisters.

You are invited to leave kind words and fond memories at www.noblesfuneral.com .