Martha "Ann" Angelia Eddinger Lambeth

Martha (Ann) Angelia Eddinger Lambeth (92) passed away peacefully on October 1, 2023, at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, surrounded by her family.

She was a beloved mother, grandmother, aunt, caregiver, church member, Christian, friend, and neighbor. Ann lived her life for the love of children. She was a homemaker and nanny to many children over the years - for both family and children in her community. Hence, she was affectionately known as “Nanni.” But she was also known as “Nanni Ann” and “Aunt Ann.”

During the 1980s, it was not uncommon for her to babysit and care for 10 or more children at a time, at her home, during the summer. She could masterfully whip up a large batch of fish sticks and tater tots for a dozen hungry children under her care. She made enough Kool-Aid and Macaroni & Cheese for kids each summer to keep the Kraft company in business. And kids loved coming inside on a hot summer day to enjoy a homemade Kool-Aid popsicle right out of the freezer.

Many of those children remembered her fondly and would visit her years later, with their own children in tow. Ann was always more than happy to keep up with and hear about their lives and accomplishments. But she was also happy to just sit and spend time with you, even if it was just quietly sitting with her watching television. She often kept a calendar where she wrote down the birthdays of everyone she knew and cared about, as well as any special events like haircuts or a grandchild's first tooth. Here, she would also write down when anyone would come to visit her. To her, those simple visits were events to cherish. Ann loved everyone in her own special way.

She absolutely loved Christmas and spending time with her family. Decorating for Christmas was an event in the Lambeth house. She delighted in decorating every nook and cranny with Santas, Christmas trees, and nativity sets… many, many nativity sets. A number of her decorations were hand-painted ceramics, which was a hobby of hers for many years. There were many Christmas Eves in which Ann made a breakfast-for-dinner feast akin to a breakfast buffet, to feed her extended family. Those dinners are one of many memories treasured by the family.

Her other hobby was pictures; so many pictures. Not photography, but simply documenting every family or community event with photos. Ann had albums upon albums of pictures, filling numerous boxes. If you stopped by to visit her - she was going to take a picture whether you wanted to or not. But she always had a way of talking you into it.

Ann was also a great listener, and it was not uncommon to hear her on the phone with a friend, listening intently and using her well-known phrase in response - “Well, I swanee!”

And let us not forget that Ann also loved sweets. She never met a dessert she didn’t like - she loved it all! And if you brought her cookies, she also had to have a cup of coffee to go with it.

Ann was a lifelong member of New Mount Vernon Methodist Church, and it was there that she served on the women’s board and helped with church bazaars and fundraisers. Ann was a true Christian in every way; kind, loving, forgiving, and never judgmental. This was the Lord’s work, she’d say.

Ann was married to Robert Wesley “R.W.” Lambeth for 69 years until his passing in 2006. Together they raised 3 children: Larry W Lambeth, Tina Lambeth Craver (Rick), and Brooke Lambeth Lyons (Jordan). She has 5 grandchildren: Chrissi Lambeth (Clay), Wes Lambeth, Jami Craver-Jenkins (Jeff), Jeana Craver (Brandon), and Riki Cansler (Josh). 6 great-grandchildren: Drew Lambeth (Tiffany), Corey Lambeth, Olivia and Leah Craver, Raelyn and Micah Cansler. And 3 Great-Great-Grandchildren: Bryce, Kohen, and Josie Ann Lambeth.

She leaves behind these beloved family members, as well as the many extended family members descended from her siblings, and members of her community who loved her as well.

She was preceded in death by her husband “R.W.” Lambeth, her mother and father - Mabel Viola Paton Eddinger and William Samuel Eddinger. Also preceding her were her 7 brothers and sisters: Gladys, Bill, Bobby, Jack, Betty Jane, Jimmy, and Jerry.

Please feel free to share your own memories here; we would love to hear how she touched your lives.

A funeral service will be held at 3:00 PM on Friday, October 6, 2023, at New Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, with Pastor Joey Yokeley, Pastor Brandon Craver and Pastor Craig Toth officiating. The burial will follow at the church cemetery. The family will receive friends an hour prior to the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to request that donations in honor of Nanni be made to: New Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, 6408 Friendship Ledford Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27107 or an organization for epilepsy research in honor of her granddaughter at: https://lgsfoundation.salsalabs.org/donate/index.html.