Marinda Athalene (Sally) Hammack, affectionately known as "Mammy" by everyone who loved her, passed away in Saluda on Sunday, July 10, 2011.

Mammy was born in Hinton, W.Va., and spent most of her childhood years in Hinton or Beckley, W.Va. She traveled and lived in New Berg, N.Y., Lake Charles, La., and Newport News, Va. She lived in Cincinnati with her sister Bobbi for 18 years, and in 1997 moved to Gloucester, Va. She lived out her last four years at the nursing home in Saluda, Va.

When she lived in Lake Charles in 1961, she met a lifelong friend, Annette Keene, who led her to the Lord. Annette introduced Mammy to helping the missions in poor countries by crocheting baby blankets for the women in Papua New Guinea and a small village in the Philippines. Mammy was passionate about the missions and sent her crocheted baby blankets for more than 40 years.

Mammy is survived by her children, Rita Peters and Ramon Cooke; granddaughters, Dana Robertson of Italy, Shannon Wyatt of Newport News, and 10 other grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren.

She was a very special grandmother and will be greatly missed. Her grandchildren will forever hold dear in their hearts their visits to Mammy, and will always cherish the very fond memories of the fun and wonderful times they shared with her.

A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, at Grace Bible Church in Ark, Va., with the Rev. Ashley Gibson officiating. Interment followed in the church cemetery. The family received friends one hour prior to the service in the church.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Bible Missionary Church, Inc., P.O. Box 400, Attn.: General Treasury c/o William Whited, DeRidder, La. 70634.

Arrangements by Amory Funeral Home, Grafton.