Ramona Ponder

Ramona Ponder, aka Mona was born August 10th, 1934 in Memphis, Tennessee and was the fourth of eight children to Theodore Rudolph Crutcher Sr. and Willie Mae Crutcher.  As a youth in Memphis Tennessee. she was a member of Golden Rule Missionary Baptist Church where she accepted Christ at a young age.

In 1951 Mona was married to Elijah Fleming Jr. and from this union she had two children Sherry Darcel Fleming and Dennis DeWayne Fleming. Shortly after their union the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio which she called home for seventeen years.  After their move to Cleveland, Ohio Elijah and Mona separated leaving Mona to raise two children alone and instilled in them strength, faith, and determination.

In 1968 after many trials of faith and health problems doctors encouraged her to relocate to a drier climate and Albuquerque, New Mexico became her destination. Not long after her arrival her brother Earl followed, and in 1972 her daughter Sherry, husband Willie and children Willie Jr. and Bobbi jo also followed.

In 1969 Mona’s life took an interesting turn she applied to New Mexico’s Career Opportunity Program (COPS) which paid her to go to school. This program awarded her a GED, Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and Master’s Degree in the field of Education. Being a woman of color in a diverse city such as Albuquerque, was not an easy task. Despite the world around her she educated thousands of children and many generations exclusively in the South Valley.

She retired from Albuquerque Public School after 30 years of service. Throughout her life she was dedicated to her God, her family, and her church. She was an active member of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church for over 30 years and a huge supporter of her pastor whom she considered to be like a son Reverend N.D. Smith, who preformed her third marriage to her husband Joe Ponder.

On Thursday November 23, 2017 God saw fit to take her home to glory. She was preceded in death by her father and mother, Son Dennis, and five siblings, Delores, Aline, Robert, Theodore Jr. and Bonnie. Ramona leaves to morn her passing her husband, Joe Ponder,  a sister Dorothy Crawford of Chicago Ill., brother Earl Crutcher (Flora) of Albuquerque NM., daughter Sherry Russell (Willie) Of Albuquerque NM., Three grandchildren Willie Russell Jr., Bobbi jo Walker (Willie), Ronald J. Knight Jr. (Maritess) and a host of great, great, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews and friends.

She gave her all to everyone in her life never turning anyone away.