Blanche Hawkins

Blanche Hawkins January 19, 1912 – December 11, 2006 Blanche Hawkins, of Waco, passed away Monday December 11 at a local nursing facility where she had lived for the past several years. Services to be led by the Rev Kay Hawkins and Rev Donald Highfill, her daughter-in-law and son-in-law will be held at 2:00 pm Wednesday at the Cogdell Memorial United Methodist Church in Waco. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 pm Tuesday at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home. A short service will be held on Friday at the Meierhoffer Funeral Home in St. Joseph, MO with burial at the Memorial Park Cemetery. Blanche was born January 19, 1912 in Hardin, MO. After graduating from the Norborne, MO high school, she taught in rural Missouri one room schools during the school year while completing her college degree at Central Missouri State College now University during the summer months. She moved to St. Joseph, MO in 1941 and was united in marriage with Clarence Arthur Hawkins on January 16, 1943. Four children were born to this union. She taught over 20 years in public schools before retiring in 1977. After Arthur's death on May 27, 1994, she remained in St. Joseph until her declining health brought her to Waco in the fall of 1998. In Waco, she became a member of the Cogdell Memorial United Methodist church. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Herbert and Clarence Wood and sister, Mary Katherine Kate Ferguson and their spouses. She is survived by two sons John HawkinsKay Waco, and James Hawkins Debbie Aiken, SC; two daughters Erma Highfill Donald Waco, and Wilma PoelStan Alexandria, VA; eleven grandchildren, Ben and Daniel Hawkins April and Jason Poel of Waco; Jonathan Poel Becky, Austin, TX; Jennifer, Juliette and Timothy Hawkins, Aiken, SC; Robert Highfill, Dallas; Rebecca Bastos Moyses, Louisville, KY; Bryan Highfill, Alexandria, VA; and Brenda Highfill, Ft. Worth; and three great granddaughters, Sarah, Deborah and Rachel Bastos plus numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to the Cogdell Memorial United Methodist Church, Waco, the International Mission Board, Richmond, VA or the First Baptist Church, St. Joseph, MO. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Memorial Guestbook” at www.wilkirsonhatchbailey.com. Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey