Merle C. Hawkins
Merle C. Hawkins, 81, of Newton, died
Friday (Aug. 3, 2007) at Newton Medical Center. She was born Nov. 20,
1925, in Winnsboro, La., to Walter L. and Mary B. (Downey) Chapek. On
Sept. 28, 1943, she married Wilford Hawkins in Meridian, Miss. He
survives of the home. She was a member of Salem United Methodist
church and was active in the Wiband Sunday school class. She enjoyed
the outdoors and found great pleasure in gardening and raising
flowers. She also was a great seamstress.
She was a devoted and loving wife,
mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to her family. She always
will be remembered for how she showed her love and care at Christmas
by baking cookies for her family. Her family deeply loved her and
will miss her greatly.
Other survivors include two daughters,
Alisa Roberson and Rob of Newton and Laurie and John Garrison of
Andover; a son, Darrell R. Hawkins and Jan of Alexandria, Ky.; six
grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her
parents; a daughter, Sherrie L. Hawkins; and a sister, Mary E.
Chapek.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m.
today at Petersen Funeral Home, with family greeting friends from 6
to 8 p.m.
The service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday
at Petersen Funeral Home Chapel in Newton with the Rev. Sherry
Clemons from Salem United Methodist Church and Pastor Chris Hill from
Bellevue, Penn., officiating.
Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery in
Newton.
Memorials have been established with
Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice and the American Cancer Society in care
of the funeral home.
