Gertrude Matilda Hawkins

On Thursday, July 26, 2012 our Mother Gertrude M Hawkins at the age of 102 "crossed over" to join her beloved husband, the Reverend Howard P. Hawkins. Mother was born November 28, 1909 (Thanksgiving Day) to Celeste (Sanders) Anderson and Chester Anderson. Mother was an only child and was partially raised as an only child by her uncle Lawson Sanders and his wife, Aileen. Mother graduated from Deadriver School in Beech Island, South Carolina and attended Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. Mother Married Reverend Howard P. Hawkins in June 1933 and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June 1983. They were married for 57 years at the death of Reverend Hawkins in 1990. Mother accompanied Rev. Hawkins as he pastored church in several states including Texas, Illinois, Oregon, Minnesota and Washington. She also accompanied Reverend Hawkins during his duty as an Army Chaplain in Hawaii during the war. Rev. Hawkins retired after many years pastoring the St. James Methodist Church in Pasco Washington. During this period Mother served as the youth leader and choir leader. For more than 50 years mother took great pride in community service with the VFW Auxiliary, the oldest active member of Check Line until the summer of 2008, Girl Scouts and numerous other civic and religious organizations. Over the years Alice Carter, Girlene Richardson and Deborah Madere provided outstanding care for mother as only loving daughters would. Throughout the Tri-Cities mother was known as "Mother Hawkins" because she touched so many lives. Viewing will be on Thursday, August 2, 2012 between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. at Mueller's Greenlee Funeral Home, 1608 W. Court Street, Pasco, Washington. Funeral services will be on Friday, August 3, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at St. James C.M.E. Church, 1809 East George, Pasco, WA. Interment will be next to her husband in Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.