Mabel White

Obituary For Mabel White

MABEL WHITE was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina as Mabel Fielder to Minnie Fielder. She had 3 older siblings who were Lillie Belle Sims, Andy West and Cordoza West.

She grew up in Spartanburg and attended Carver High School. After graduating from high school, she went to Atlanta, Georgia where she studied to become a cosmetologist. After receiving her cosmetologist license, she went back to Spartanburg to work in her trade.

After working there for a few years and enjoying her job, she met Willie James White and they wed. They stayed in Spartanburg a couple of years, but yearned to see some of the east coast, so they moved from Spartanburg and traveled to Miami Beach, FL; Alexandria, VA and Harrisburg, PA. I can still remember my mother saying what a surprise it was to wear a sundress in December in Miami. Mabel worked as a short-order cook in restaurants in these cities and Willie worked as a bell-hop. They didn’t have a care in the world and enjoyed themselves immensely traveling to different cities and staying short intervals.

After they got the traveling bug out of their system, in 1951 they moved permanently to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania which they favored over the other cities. On January 17, 1954 they welcomed a daughter, Linda White.

After their daughter arrived, Mabel realized she needed to be at home with the baby so she received further training to become a nurse’s aide at the old Harrisburg Hospital in downtown Harrisburg, PA. Afterwards her mother moved in with the family to help them care for the baby. Mabel worked for the Harrisburg Hospital for 37 years until she retired in 1984.

Mabel was a member of the Saint Paul Baptist Church on 17th Street in Harrisburg, PA.

The family continued to travel over the years. Travel included New Jersey Beach Towns like Atlantic City, Wildwood and Ashbury Park, NJ; as well as Manhattan, NY and Niagara Falls, Canada. They loved the beach and everything it had to offer like the boardwalk, deep sea fishing, beachcombing and just spending time together and enjoying each other.

She also loved cooking and was a great Southern Cook. She was always trying new recipes and loved having the family over for the holidays.

On Monday, January 8, 2024, Mabel White, at the age of 101 years, transitioned from this earthly life into eternal life at the Sacred Heart Home in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Mabel is preceded in death by her husband, Willie James White, her mother, Minnie Fielder and her siblings, Lillie Belle Sims, Andy and Cordoza West. She is survived by a daughter, Linda W. Robinson and her husband, John H. Robinson; a niece, Willie Belle Dawkins, a great niece, Deborah Moore and son Desmond Moore; a great nephew, Robert Dawkins and wife, Demetria Dawkins and daughter Veronica Dawkins and many cousins.

Mabel’s life will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 16th in the Chapel of the Major H. Winfield Funeral Home, Steelton with viewing and visitation from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. and burial in William Howard Day Cemetery.