Anna Merle Carpenter Kinsey of Mobile, Alabama died Thursday February 2, 2023 at Springhill Senior Residence where she lived for four and half years.
She was born to Samuel Alexander Carpenter and Annie Belle Howell Carpenter
On January 7, 1925 at Carpenter Station, Alabama.
Her twin sister Annie Pearl lived one day and is buried at the Carpenter Cemetery. Her father worked for the L & N Railroad which made a regular stop at Carpenter Station.
She is preceded in death by her five siblings, Charles, Pinar, Ralph, Delores and James, husband Clyde L. Kinsey and three children Larry Kinsey, Sherri Trcinski, Wayne Kinsey and grandson Richard Kinsey.
As a young woman she was strong, smart, independent and beautiful!
She worked at a restaurant when she was 15, and contracted polio from a customer. The polio virus affected the left side of her body in the hips, leg, ankle and foot.
She moved to Mobile during the second World War to work at a Shipping Company but soon started at the Bell South Telephone Company as a switchboard operator. She was quickly promoted to a supervisor at 18 years of age, much to the chagrin of the older ladies who had been there longer than her. She would say, "I must have had something on the ball!"
Her and Clyde married in 1946 and she took care of five children while her husband plied the global seas and different countries. The hardships, challenges and rewards can only be appreciated by wives and families of other seamen in the Merchant Marines.
She ran her household like the captain of her own vessel and made all the children
"Tow the Line!"
She covered the dining room wall from floor to ceiling with maps of all the countries, cities and harbors dad sailed into and out of as he traversed the world's oceans.
She loved to sew, read, laugh and tell 'stories' from growing up! She packed up the children and spent summer vacations on Dauphin Island, Gulf Shores and the family would pull a trailer to the Smokey Mountains and See Rock City! She enjoyed traveling around the country to visit relatives.
She used Google for genealogy research and was a longtime member of Dauphin Way Baptist Church, enjoyed Sunday school, sermons and lunch out with family at Morrisons.
She was very global in her knowledge and could discuss national and international politics, geography, science, birds and climate due to her relentless reading. She gave out two dollar bills for birthdays and will be remembered as the 'matriarch' of all her family.
She is survived by son Alan Clyde Kinsey (Janie) of Fort Worth, Texas and daughter Charlene Kinsey Dindo (John) of Mobile, Alabama and daughter-in-law Heidi Kinsey of Summerdale, Alabama.
Grandchildren are
Allyson Kinsey Marotta (Guy) of Cour De Alene, Idaho, Alyssa Anne Kinsey of Fort Worth, Texas, Alan Taylor Welsh of Tuscaloosa, Alabama,
Joshua Joseph Dindo (Elisabeth), Chase Michael Dindo, Mobile, Alabama,
Samuel Charles Trzcinski, Lawrenceville, Georgia, Kinsey Michelle Trzcinski Butchart (Austin) of Smyrna, Georgia,
Matthew Kinsey (Rhiannon) of Robertsdale, Alabama and
Samantha Kinsey Thomas (Brandon) of Summerdale, Alabama.
Her great grandchildren include, Brittney Marotta, Casey Marotta, Cody Kinsey, Lawson Elisabeth Dindo, Jabe Joseph Dindo and Madilyn Thomas and Brodie Thomas. Great, great grandchildren Ellie Mae Helgeson and Carson Myles Young.
She held close all her nieces and nephews.
Thank you to all the caring staff at Springhill Senior Residence who laughed with her and made sure she was safe and comfortable!
January 7, 1925 ~ February 2, 2023 (age 98)
Graveside Service will be held February 6, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at Mobile Memorial Gardens, Mobile, Alabama.
