Mary E. (Dabbs) Crossland

Mary Edith (Dabbs) Crossland, age 86, of Metropolis Illinois passed away on Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 5:35 am at her home, as she called it “The Center” or for the rest of us, Metropolis Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Mary Edith (Dabbs) Crossland was born on November 26, 1934 on a Monday to William (Bill) Bedford and Essie Beatrice Dabbs. Mary was raised in Brownfield, Illinois of Pope County. She was raised by her mother, Essie and her husband George Scott. At six years old, at her mother’s passing, Mary was raised by her grandparents Lewis Dabbs, known as “Pops” and her grandmother Carrie (Sides) Dabbs on their farm in Brownfield, Illinois. They were a large family of aunts and uncles in varying ages who loved, supported, encouraged, and help raise “Little Mary.”

Grandma Carrie raised Mary to help care for her chickens, sell their eggs, cook, bake, can, sew their own clothes, quilt, crochet, and embroidery, and on her own Mary had a natural talent to paint beautiful pictures, and create macrame’ art. Mary was known a master sewer sometimes making her own patterns, and creating her daughters beautiful dresses for Easter and Christmas, making them Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls to play with.

After graduating from Sumner Grade School, she went on to graduate from Pope County Community High School in Golconda, Illinois. Mary then went to Carbondale Illinois to study bookkeeping.

On a Thursday, June 21, 1956, Mary Edith Dabbs married Bobbie Leroy Crossland at Pop’s and Mom’s farmhouse, in Brownfield, IL. Bobbie after the Korean War came home and went to school and opened a tailoring shop in downtown Metropolis where after marriage Mary worked alongside him at the shop taking tailoring orders and working at the counter greeting customers. Mary loved being a wife, and after 5 years of marriage, she and Bobbie started raising a family of two girls, first Linda, and then 3 years later Dianne. She loved being a wife and a mother. She left the shop and became a fulltime homemaker, taking a few jobs on the side.

Mary’s main goal in life was to have a family and create a home filled with items from her love of using items from yard sales and auctions with an eye for antiques and the talent for recreating them to make her home a beautiful place to be.

After accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior, her desire to study the bible and develop a relationship with God helped her become the wife, mother, and then pastor’s wife, as well as Sunday School teacher for children, church youth leader, and her becoming herself a part of the church choir. After years of service in the AME Missionary Society, Mary was recognized as a lifetime member, which she was very proud of such an honor of being known as.

Mary loved to pick greens with her friend Molly T., camping, cooking out on the grill at the park, going to the library, and to the movies, and playing BINGO at the family reunion, and at the Center, her home on Tuesdays and Fridays with her friends.

Mary is survived by her two daughters, Dianne Crossland and Linda Crossland and fur grand dog, Margo Ellen. She was preceded in death by her husband, Reverend Bobbie L. Crossland and nephews, Corliss Crossland and Gregory Crossland.

Funeral services will be held at 12 noon on Friday, April 30, 2021 at Aikins-Farmer-Loftus-McManus Funeral Home with Rev. David Deem officiating. Burial will follow in Metropolis Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until 12 noon on Friday, April 30th. Condolences may be left at www.aikinsfarmer-millerfh.com.

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