Doris Wanda Lamb

Doris Wanda Lamb (Sellers), age 82, passed away peacefully on November 10, 2020 at Central Carolina Hospital (CCH) in Sanford, NC. She passed surrounded by the presence of loving family members. She was serenaded by her loving son, Rev. Dr. Gregory E. Lamb, who spent her final hours hugging her, holding her hand, singing her favorite gospel hymns, reading her favorite Scriptures, and reminiscing upon favorite childhood and recent memories. She smiled as she breathed her last breath, and went into the presence of her Lord, Jesus Christ.

Doris was born on May 10, 1938 in Rogersville, TN to Larry and Pearl Sellers. She proceeds in death her brothers, Mac and Donald Sellers and sisters Ada Greer and Mary Dykes. Doris was a loving wife, daughter, loving mother to four (Larry Scott, Traci, Ginger, and Gregory), doting grandmother to ten (Heath, Dustin, Amber, Chris, Brad, Austin, Brennan, Caitlyn, David, and Elijah), and proud great-grandmother to seven (Addie, John Luke, Brad, Whitney, Anna, Emma, and Xavier), and beloved as a friend and encourager by countless others. Doris's husband of sixty-one years, Rev. Earl J. Lamb, was a Missionary Baptist minister, beside whom she will be buried at Hamblen Memory Gardens in Morristown, TN. Doris supported her husband for many years as a minister's wife at many churches in East Tennessee and Indiana. Doris continued this ministry of encouragement to her son, Gregory, who pastors Mays Chapel Baptist Church in Bear Creek, NC. Doris was a faithful prayer warrior, Sunday School teacher, and loved to cook, serve, and sing at the various churches of Earl's and Gregory's ministries. Doris's Christian faith was and is immensely important to her. Doris always looked forward to her favorite times of year (Christmas and Easter) and getting her children, her husband, and herself dressed in their "Sunday best" for church each week.

Doris attended the Keplar school in Rogersville, TN, where her best friends called her by her beloved nickname "Cue-ball." Her beautiful snow-white hair, southern charm, hospitality, warm personality, sharp wit, and humor only accentuated this nickname. She also graduated from business college and helped her husband start, grow, and maintain their home-based laundry and dry cleaning equipment sales, installation, and service business, Earl Lamb Co., where Doris handled the accounting and business aspects of the family business. Doris also had training as a nurse and volunteered for many years at various public schools within the Hamblen Co., TN school system, where her family resided in Morristown, TN. Doris had a dogged determination to live life to the fullest and lit up every room she was in—taking the time to make others (especially, those going through hard times) experience the happiness and joy that burst forth from her heart as a child of God.

Doris loved her family more than her own life—second only to Jesus. She would sacrifice so much to make sure the bills were paid, homework was done, and that her family was clothed, fed, and said their prayers and were ready for church on Sunday mornings. Doris was a faithful attender to her children and grandchildren's school events, baseball games, band practices, and concerts. She would even wake up at 4am to take her son Gregory hunting and fishing when his dad was out of town for business so Gregory could go deer, duck, and squirrel hunting in the woods, rivers, and fields of East TN. She wouldn't hunt with him but would sit in the car on those chilly fall and winter mornings—reading her Bible or another of her favorite books—until Gregory was through hunting. She loved to catch and cook fish, however. Her life on their family's farm in Rogersville, TN (not to mention having two brothers) made Doris into a rough-and-tumble "Tomboy," who would give as much as she got. She was right at home on a riverbank with a cane pole in her hand, catching worms and fish as she was getting "dolled-up" for a date with her husband. She took pride in the well-being of herself and her family—aspiring to the values of the proverbial "Proverbs 31 woman." You could say that Doris was deeply dedicated to her Lord and to the flourishing of her family.

During an especially difficult decade in her life, Doris cared for her daughter Ginger, who suffered from lupus and helped care for her grandchildren during this time, whom she was/is especially proud of. Doris's heart always considered the needs of others above her own and sacrificed much for the sake of others (Phil 2:3–5). Truly, Doris displayed a servant's heart, and her attitude was that of Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5).

Doris will always be remembered not only for her love for her family, but also her "fur babies." Her beloved cats (Tom, Sophie, Midnight, and others) and dogs (Choco, Jack, Sheba, Mindy, Rex, and others) were fed like kings and queens, with Doris rescuing many abandoned pets and giving them a great life—boiling chicken and other "gourmet meals" for her pets.

Doris was a great cook and no person attending dinner or a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter meal ever left hungry. She cooked with passion and love, and her love for her family and friends translated into the delicious meals and desserts she made. Thankfully, many of her favorite recipes have been preserved in the cookbooks of her children and grandchildren. Her pumpkin pie was the best! She would always make an extra pie for her husband and son to eat with a cold glass of milk.

Doris's family would like to extend a heartfelt message of thanks to the staff of CCH, Amedisys Hospice, and Brookdale Pinehurst for their care and treatment of Doris.

Doris's Celebration of Life:

Saturday, December 26th at 2:00 pm

Mays Chapel Baptist Church

24 Rosser Road, Bear Creek, NC 27207

In lieu of flowers,

The family asks that donations be made to Mays Chapel Baptist Church for the Lottie Moon Christmas offering which supports Christian missionaries around the world in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.