Maxine Ann Hawkins, 82, of Sherwood, went home to be with her Savior, Jesus, February 23, 2021 at her daughter’s home under the care of her family.
A celebration of Maxine’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 27, 2021 at Factoryville Bible Church. Pastors Fred Goebert and Trent Hammond will officiate. Interment will follow at Sherwood Cemetery. Visitation will be held Friday, February 26, 2021 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Lighthouse Funeral & Cremation in Union City.
Maxine (“Mickey”) was born on October 11, 1938 in Bloomingdale, Michigan to John Robert and Maxine B. (Winters) Rouse. She graduated from Hastings High School in Hastings, MI in 1956. She received a degree from Argubright Business College in Battle Creek, MI and from Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.
Maxine’s natural mother died a few days after her birth, and was adopted by her mother’s uncle, Ethan Winters and his wife, Nancy. She grew up on a dairy farm near Dowling, MI. As a result, she was an only child until she would visit her birth family, where she had 8 other siblings.
She met her husband, Ronald Ray Hawkins, at Jubilee Ranch, a Christian Camp ministry in upstate New York where they were both working with horses. She married him on June 3, 1961 in Lacey, MI. He preceded her in death on September 29, 2015.
Together, they attended Trinity Bible College in Dunedin, Florida and Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. They moved through many states, started a family of 5 kids and endeavored to minister in Christian service. They lived in Marcellus, Michigan for 6 years, where Maxine would accompany Ron as he pastored Edwards Corners Bible Church. They moved to Fairmont, West Virginia, and Grafton, WV where they worked at a rescue mission and then for Child Evangelism Fellowship at Valley of Decision Youth Camp. They moved from there to Sherwood, Michigan in 1976.
While living in Sherwood, Maxine and Ron attended Factoryville Bible Church in Athens, MI where she would teach art and piano at the Christian School. She and her family would do music at many different churches and she would play piano and sing … and draw biblical chalk scenes to music and her husband would then preach. They filled in as ministers at Newburg-Norton Bible Church near Three Rivers and at then at Crossroads Bible Church, where she played the piano, taught Sunday School and served in many ways for 25 years.
Maxine loved Jesus and her life was a testimony to God’s goodness. She would travel with her husband on trips in his semi-truck and then later when he was an Allstate agent, she assisted him with secretarial work. Her gifts were widespread as she was a loyal and loving wife and mother, and grandmother and great grandmother. She adored her family. She was a prodigious artist, creating beautiful landscape scenes, wildlife art and inspirational masterpieces. She loved painting horses and she always owned a few. She painted what she called “Creation Praises” and sold them at festivals, art fairs, and galleries. Each painting had a Bible verse on it.
She loved playing the piano and greatly enjoyed teaching piano lessons, encouraging youth to serve the Lord with their music and gifts. She also loved the color blue and always had a taste for honey, butter pecan ice cream and apple fritters.
For the last 17 years of her life, she endured the challenges of Huntington’s Disease, facing it with gratitude and faith, impacting the lives of doctors, nurses, caregivers, nursing home aides and many, many more with her enthusiasm for life and Jesus and her “A Thousand Million Thank You’s”.
Mrs. Hawkins is survived by her children Joel (Lisa) Hawkins, of Highland, IL, Lisa (Kevin) Foster of Hawarden IA, Rebekah (David) Mowry of Sherwood, Jonathan (Carissa) Hawkins of Sherwood and Ronelle Mullins of Colon, her siblings Donald (Janis) Rouse of Grand Rapids, Joyce (Martin) Stevens of Maryville, TN, Stephen Rouse of Kalamazoo, Timothy (Dawn) Rouse of Allegan, Beth (Terry) Rogers of Allegan, her brothers-in-law Bob Simington of Portage and Erik Fiskars of St. Joseph, her grandchildren; Tyler Shelton, McKinsey (Christian) Binger, Jayden Shelton, Abe and Blaise Hawkins, Julane (Jonathan) McCarrell, Hannah (Matt) Tam, Seth (Courtney) Foster, Ethan (Kate) Foster, Jonathan, Micah, Max and Jack Foster, Andrew (Emily) Mowry, Wesley (Rosa) Mowry, Amilia, Titus, Wellington, Peyton, Lidi, Pamela, and Gabe Mowry, Nathaniel, Zachary and Kara Hawkins, Josiah (Adria) Mullins, Jacquelyn (Benjamin) Gerth, Jordyn (Hannah) Mullins, Jessica, Madelyn, Jonah, Malachi and Megann Mullins, and her great-grandchildren, Levi, Ava, Iain McCarrell, Kahlia, Tenille, Conrad, Ellis, and Katelyn Foster, Mia and Max Mowry, and Coleton Wyrich and Wade Johnson (sons of Josiah and Adria Mullins).
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Ella May Fiskars and Ruth Simington, and her brother, Paul Rouse.
Memorial contributions may be directed to Camp Elvin, c/o Factory Bible Church, 33650 Factoryville Rd, Athens, MI 49011 or RBM (Rural Bible Missions), P.O. BOX 128, Plainwell, MI 49080
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