Obituary of Muriel Small

Muriel Small was born in 1933 to Claire and Max Kaiser. She lived in the Bronx until age 11, when the family relocated to Garden Road where they had a poultry farm. Muriel met the love of her life, Jacob Small, at Norma Beach when she was fifteen. After graduating from Vineland High School, she went on to receive her degree from Drexel University. She married after graduating, and the couple set up housekeeping in Vineland where they lived for the next 60 years. She taught at Memorial School and then became a stay at home mom until the kids got older at which point, she returned to teaching. Her favorite school was Memorial, but she also taught in Newfield and at Landis for a few years. She especially enjoyed running into her many old students. Family was of the utmost importance to Muriel. She leaves 3 children, Julie, Debra, Lourie, (and spouses), and 4 beloved grandchildren - Kelly, Henry, Jesse, and Maddie. She was predeceased by her sister, Alice. She also leaves her beloved sister-in-law, Rose Bukiet, and her wonderful aides, Angela, Essie, and Millie. Muriel was actively involved in Vineland Chapter of Hadassah where she was a past president, Beth Israel Congregation and Sisterhood, and Hebrew Women's Benevolent Society. She loved sewing, knitting, crafts, and cats. When Jake died in 2014, she moved to assistant living near her daughter, Debra, in Rockville, MD, but constantly missed her life in Vineland. Muriel will be remembered as a wonderful daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a kind and positive person even in the throes of adversity. She was the eternal optimist. She will be dearly missed by her family and friends. If desired, contributions in Muriel's memory may be made to Beth Israel Congregation, 1510 East Park Ave, Vineland, NJ 08360, Bat Ami Vineland Chapter of Hadassah, 1370 S. Main Road, Box 21, Vineland, NJ 08360, The Uganda Odwar Fund, Global Giving, 1110 Vermont Ave, suite 550, NW Washington, DC 20005. This fund supports a village of girls, and provides an education for them in Uganda.