Bennie Marcelle Clayton grew up on a farm in Arkansas and was the only child out of 11 to graduate from high school. From the beginning she embraced the challenges thrown her way and throughout her life she overcame every obstacle, even managing to help those around her in the process.
Mrs. Clayton died of complications from a stroke on Nov. 9, 2013. She was 84 years old.
It all started with man, a woman, an upholstery business and a lot of hard work. Mrs. Clayton met John Louis Powell, her future husband, in Washington and together they moved to Arlington and created Arlington Upholstery together.
When Mr. Powell became too sick to continue working his wife took over without hesitation, and after he died in 1977 she ran the shop alone for a few years. She remarried in 1982 to Enoch Benjamin Clayton and he joined her working at the store until his death in 2000.
She was constantly meeting with customers in person and took the time to get to know them on a personal level. She learned everything she could about their lifestyle to help shape her advice on decorating and, thanks to word of mouth and a little marketing, the already-established upholstery store took off.
Throughout her life she was amazed and thankful for all of the opportunities she received and the people she met, especially when she helped vice presidents, senators and military families with their decorating.
Her customers didn’t know the difference, though. Whether she was in the home of a well-known family or the home of a stay-at-home mom, Mrs. Clayton treated her customers equally. She didn’t brag about the high-ranking customers she helped. In fact, she found ways to bring those same high-ranking officials to her level.
“I was with her at the Kennedy home once and was awestruck at the place. Mom was putting a slipcover on the chair in front of the fireplace and, after she moved the chair, she chuckled. I asked her what was so funny; she was laughing because she found clippings she’d accidentally left last time she was there and said, ‘I guess their housekeeper isn’t any better than me,’” Jane Farthing, Mrs. Clayton’s daughter, laughed.
Mrs. Clayton constantly received thank-you notes and handwritten letters from customers who appreciated her help, everything from redecorating to last-minute parties that may not have happened if not for her.
What made Mrs. Clayton so great at her job was the meticulous eye she put to every project. On a chair, the cushion pattern would match up exactly with the rest of the chair. If it didn’t, she’d take it off and start from scratch. Her perfectionism guaranteed repeat customers and referrals; the love and care she put into her work was obvious.
That same love and care was given to those around her at all times. Art Funes came into the upholstery store asking for work and Mrs. Clayton immediately saw raw talent in him. She later found out his family was still in El Salvador and he was in the United States illegally. Rather than throwing him out, she called the immigration office to find out what she could do to help keep him in the U.S.
In order for the legal process to go through, Mr. Funes had to go back to El Salvador for a while. Mrs. Clayton paid for Mr. Funes and his family to come back to the states, but he didn’t come back when he was supposed to. Men in El Salvador had Mr. Funes working in the field and had taken Mrs. Clayton’s money with no intentions of sending him back.
Mrs. Clayton wasn’t aware of these conditions until afterwards, but she wanted Mr. Funes back. She called the number given to her and said she knew people in the FBI and if Mr. Funes wasn’t on the next flight out, she was sending them in after him. The men took her threats to heart, telling Mr. Funes, “A crazy lady just called here,” and had Mr. Funes pulled from the fields and boarded on the very next plane. Mr. Funes and his family lived in the apartment above the shop.
Mrs. Clayton stuck her neck out and helped those she cared about. Peewee, another worker for Mrs. Clayton, lived in the rec room below the shop. He was a longtime employee and dear to Mrs. Clayton’s heart, so when he became ill and didn’t have the health insurance to cover the bills, she covered them for him. She paid for his nursing home fees until he passed, then paid for his burial plot. From the moment Mrs. Clayton met someone, they became family to her and she treated them as such.
“Whenever somebody needed something, she was there,” Mrs. Farthing said.
Mrs. Clayton was always entertaining for her friends and family, too. Sunday mornings, whether there were two people or 20 in the house, Mrs. Clayton made homemade buttermilk biscuits. All holiday parties were held at Mrs. Clayton’s house, nicknamed “Party Central.” A long table would be packed with food, each dish full to the brim. After eating and cleaning up the group would come together with a guitar and sing songs.
“There was always joy in our home,” Mrs. Farthing said.
At her home, which was next door to her shop, Mrs. Clayton used her garden to relax. After working a long day shift she’d immediately take a few steps next door where her potpourri of dahlias, roses, sunflowers and magnolia trees were on display.
She had an eye for beauty that continued when she moved to Williamsburg and Mrs. Farthing remembers hearing Mrs. Clayton call out, wanting her daughter to share in the joy of watching cardinals at the bird feeder outside her window. She moved to the area after breaking her hip in 2007, but it wasn’t long before she became restless to be on her own again. Mrs. Clayton was an independent woman who needed that sense of taking care of herself, so her daughter helped moved her things down to an independent living apartment in Williamsburg where Mrs. Clayton was proud to have a place of her own.
Her children have a tremendous amount of respect for her, from taking over a business by herself, raising her children and still managing to make it to the PTA meetings, all while setting the best example she could.
“Her values were work hard, play hard. She never said it, but she didn’t have to. That’s just how she lived her life and the role model she was for me,” Mrs. Farthing said.
She lived her life with dignity and has many who remember her fondly. Letters are still coming in to Mrs. Farthing from people touched by her mother’s generosity.
She was always the picture of professionalism, culture and sophistication that I aspired to become. And yet, she never forgot where she came from. She was always there for her family, with a wide smile, a joke on her lips and a strong hand ready to help in any way needed. -Janice (Bailiff) King
Marcelle, the more I got to know you over the years, the more amazed I was regarding your “life force.” There was never a dull moment spent with you. –Gail
This world of ours has lost an elect lady. My friendship with your mom has endured longer than any other in my life—over 50 years. She offered me advice as I sat by her sewing machine in the upholstery shop. All my memories of her are precious. -Katie Sullivan Bowcutt
I am so glad I was able to visit Marcelle in Williamsburg in May. Although she was coping with pain, she had not lost her sense of independence or her witty sense of humor. Today I celebrate Marcelle’s full, beautiful life and am grateful that I was able to share some precious moments of it with her. – Lee Powell
Marcelle loved intrigue and mystery. Many of my visits would begin with Marcelle saying, “Now don’t tell Jane, but…” and she would proceed to tell me about a plan or a scheme that she was hatching. Then I would faithfully keep the confidence only to have her tell Jane the secret herself, often later the same day! Whatever the occasion, it was guaranteed that each visit would be an adventure. –Jana
She is survived by her children, Jane Powell Farthing (Jesse), Nancy Powell Sheppard Stone, William M. Powell; stepdaughter, Donna Marie Powell Bryant (Willard) Jackson; 14 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and 12 nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by stepsons, John P. Powell and Ronald L. Powell, and granddaughter Jessica Marcelle Farthing.
The family will receive guests from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, 2013, at the Omps Funeral Home, 1600 Amherst Street, Winchester, VA. Services will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013, at 11 a.m. at the Braddock Street United Methodist Church in Winchester followed by interment at the Mount Jackson Cemetary.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her memory, to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Nurse Family Partnership Pitt County Health Dept., 201Government Circle, Greenville, NC 27834.
Please leave condolences online for Mrs. Clayton’s family at Nelsen Funeral Home.
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