"EARTH HAS NO SORROWS THAT HEAVEN CANNOT HEAL."
This was my wonderful mother. She was one of the sweetest women alive. My daughter used to call her "my sweet, little Grandma." Indeed, she was only 4 feet, 9 inches tall, but looks could be deceiving. I saw her have a man well over 6 feet tall backed up against a wall because he had overly criticized my brother, dragging him home to be punished. Indeed, Mom would come charging in if anyone treatened one of her chicks. We couldn't even gang up on each other without her jumping in to defend whoever was being picked on.
Mom was born in Reeds Spring, Missouri and lived her early years in nearby Galena. She always wanted a middle name (she was the only child not given one), so in high school, she started calling herself Mildred Maxine. She did this so successfully that some family geneology entries show her name as being Mildred, but it never really was and she eventually dropped it. She was the daughter of Velma Devall Swift and Malcolm "Aden" Swift. Her father died when Maxine was only 8 years old, and although Velma worked very hard to provide for her five children, she ultimately sent the youngest four to the Masonic Home in St. Louis. After graduating from Soldan High School in St. Louis, Maxine took secretarial courses and worked at Oklahoma Tile and Supply in Oklahoma City. In 1940 she moved to Washington, D.C. as an adventure with some of her friends. She worked at the Department of Agriculture. In 1941 she met a young soldier, James Xavier Entwistle, and ultimately married him in Baltimore, MD on May 4, 1942. Daddy had to work hard to convince her to marry him as they were an example of opposites attract. Mom was a Southern Baptist Republican, and Dad was a Boston Irish Catholic Democrat. In our family, we did not discuss politics or religion. She followed Jimmie around the world on various assignments in the Army and then the Air Force, including Japan and Morocco, until his retirement from active duty in 1961. They then settled in Midwest City, Oklahoma and raised their three children: Janet Lea, Gary Lynn, and Sharon Louise. Mom was a loving and loyal mother. When asked if she was going to take us with her to dad's new base in Japan, she said, "Of course, if my children don't go, then I don't go." She loved her family, her church--Country Estates Baptist Church, her friends, and finally her grandchildren. Maxine passed away suddenly of a heart attack and was followed in death only four months later by her husband, Jimmie. He could not live without her, nor she without him--after her death we found a piece of paper in her Bible listing her top 10 Blessings in life; daddy was number one. The funny thing was daddy made the list and so did her grandchildren, but her children weren't listed. My brother, sister, and I got a big laugh about that. She is missed and lovingly remembered by her children, friends, and grandchildren.
~~ I Carry Your Heart with Me ~~
Wish Heaven had a phone so I could hear your voice again. I thought of you today, but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday, and the days before that too. I think of you in silence; I often speak your name. All I have are memories and a picture in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake, from which I'll never part.... God has you in His arms, I have you in my heart!
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This was my wonderful mother. She was one of the sweetest women alive. My daughter used to call her "my sweet, little Grandma." Indeed, she was only 4 feet, 9 inches tall, but looks could be deceiving. I saw her have a man well over 6 feet tall backed up against a wall because he had overly criticized my brother, dragging him home to be punished. Indeed, Mom would come charging in if anyone treatened one of her chicks. We couldn't even gang up on each other without her jumping in to defend whoever was being picked on.
Mom was born in Reeds Spring, Missouri and lived her early years in nearby Galena. She always wanted a middle name (she was the only child not given one), so in high school, she started calling herself Mildred Maxine. She did this so successfully that some family geneology entries show her name as being Mildred, but it never really was and she eventually dropped it. She was the daughter of Velma Devall Swift and Malcolm "Aden" Swift. Her father died when Maxine was only 8 years old, and although Velma worked very hard to provide for her five children, she ultimately sent the youngest four to the Masonic Home in St. Louis. After graduating from Soldan High School in St. Louis, Maxine took secretarial courses and worked at Oklahoma Tile and Supply in Oklahoma City. In 1940 she moved to Washington, D.C. as an adventure with some of her friends. She worked at the Department of Agriculture. In 1941 she met a young soldier, James Xavier Entwistle, and ultimately married him in Baltimore, MD on May 4, 1942. Daddy had to work hard to convince her to marry him as they were an example of opposites attract. Mom was a Southern Baptist Republican, and Dad was a Boston Irish Catholic Democrat. In our family, we did not discuss politics or religion. She followed Jimmie around the world on various assignments in the Army and then the Air Force, including Japan and Morocco, until his retirement from active duty in 1961. They then settled in Midwest City, Oklahoma and raised their three children: Janet Lea, Gary Lynn, and Sharon Louise. Mom was a loving and loyal mother. When asked if she was going to take us with her to dad's new base in Japan, she said, "Of course, if my children don't go, then I don't go." She loved her family, her church--Country Estates Baptist Church, her friends, and finally her grandchildren. Maxine passed away suddenly of a heart attack and was followed in death only four months later by her husband, Jimmie. He could not live without her, nor she without him--after her death we found a piece of paper in her Bible listing her top 10 Blessings in life; daddy was number one. The funny thing was daddy made the list and so did her grandchildren, but her children weren't listed. My brother, sister, and I got a big laugh about that. She is missed and lovingly remembered by her children, friends, and grandchildren.
~~ I Carry Your Heart with Me ~~
Wish Heaven had a phone so I could hear your voice again. I thought of you today, but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday, and the days before that too. I think of you in silence; I often speak your name. All I have are memories and a picture in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake, from which I'll never part.... God has you in His arms, I have you in my heart!
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"EARTH HAS NO SORROWS THAT HEAVEN CANNOT HEAL."
This was my wonderful mother. She was one of the sweetest women alive. My daughter used to call her "my sweet, little Grandma." Indeed, she was only 4 feet, 9 inches tall, but looks could be deceiving. I saw her have a man well over 6 feet tall backed up against a wall because he had overly criticized my brother, dragging him home to be punished. Indeed, Mom would come charging in if anyone treatened one of her chicks. We couldn't even gang up on each other without her jumping in to defend whoever was being picked on.
Mom was born in Reeds Spring, Missouri and lived her early years in nearby Galena. She always wanted a middle name (she was the only child not given one), so in high school, she started calling herself Mildred Maxine. She did this so successfully that some family geneology entries show her name as being Mildred, but it never really was and she eventually dropped it. She was the daughter of Velma Devall Swift and Malcolm "Aden" Swift. Her father died when Maxine was only 8 years old, and although Velma worked very hard to provide for her five children, she ultimately sent the youngest four to the Masonic Home in St. Louis. After graduating from Soldan High School in St. Louis, Maxine took secretarial courses and worked at Oklahoma Tile and Supply in Oklahoma City. In 1940 she moved to Washington, D.C. as an adventure with some of her friends. She worked at the Department of Agriculture. In 1941 she met a young soldier, James Xavier Entwistle, and ultimately married him in Baltimore, MD on May 4, 1942. Daddy had to work hard to convince her to marry him as they were an example of opposites attract. Mom was a Southern Baptist Republican, and Dad was a Boston Irish Catholic Democrat. In our family, we did not discuss politics or religion. She followed Jimmie around the world on various assignments in the Army and then the Air Force, including Japan and Morocco, until his retirement from active duty in 1961. They then settled in Midwest City, Oklahoma and raised their three children: Janet Lea, Gary Lynn, and Sharon Louise. Mom was a loving and loyal mother. When asked if she was going to take us with her to dad's new base in Japan, she said, "Of course, if my children don't go, then I don't go." She loved her family, her church--Country Estates Baptist Church, her friends, and finally her grandchildren. Maxine passed away suddenly of a heart attack and was followed in death only four months later by her husband, Jimmie. He could not live without her, nor she without him--after her death we found a piece of paper in her Bible listing her top 10 Blessings in life; daddy was number one. The funny thing was daddy made the list and so did her grandchildren, but her children weren't listed. My brother, sister, and I got a big laugh about that. She is missed and lovingly remembered by her children, friends, and grandchildren.
~~ I Carry Your Heart with Me ~~
Wish Heaven had a phone so I could hear your voice again. I thought of you today, but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday, and the days before that too. I think of you in silence; I often speak your name. All I have are memories and a picture in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake, from which I'll never part.... God has you in His arms, I have you in my heart!
-------------------------
This was my wonderful mother. She was one of the sweetest women alive. My daughter used to call her "my sweet, little Grandma." Indeed, she was only 4 feet, 9 inches tall, but looks could be deceiving. I saw her have a man well over 6 feet tall backed up against a wall because he had overly criticized my brother, dragging him home to be punished. Indeed, Mom would come charging in if anyone treatened one of her chicks. We couldn't even gang up on each other without her jumping in to defend whoever was being picked on.
Mom was born in Reeds Spring, Missouri and lived her early years in nearby Galena. She always wanted a middle name (she was the only child not given one), so in high school, she started calling herself Mildred Maxine. She did this so successfully that some family geneology entries show her name as being Mildred, but it never really was and she eventually dropped it. She was the daughter of Velma Devall Swift and Malcolm "Aden" Swift. Her father died when Maxine was only 8 years old, and although Velma worked very hard to provide for her five children, she ultimately sent the youngest four to the Masonic Home in St. Louis. After graduating from Soldan High School in St. Louis, Maxine took secretarial courses and worked at Oklahoma Tile and Supply in Oklahoma City. In 1940 she moved to Washington, D.C. as an adventure with some of her friends. She worked at the Department of Agriculture. In 1941 she met a young soldier, James Xavier Entwistle, and ultimately married him in Baltimore, MD on May 4, 1942. Daddy had to work hard to convince her to marry him as they were an example of opposites attract. Mom was a Southern Baptist Republican, and Dad was a Boston Irish Catholic Democrat. In our family, we did not discuss politics or religion. She followed Jimmie around the world on various assignments in the Army and then the Air Force, including Japan and Morocco, until his retirement from active duty in 1961. They then settled in Midwest City, Oklahoma and raised their three children: Janet Lea, Gary Lynn, and Sharon Louise. Mom was a loving and loyal mother. When asked if she was going to take us with her to dad's new base in Japan, she said, "Of course, if my children don't go, then I don't go." She loved her family, her church--Country Estates Baptist Church, her friends, and finally her grandchildren. Maxine passed away suddenly of a heart attack and was followed in death only four months later by her husband, Jimmie. He could not live without her, nor she without him--after her death we found a piece of paper in her Bible listing her top 10 Blessings in life; daddy was number one. The funny thing was daddy made the list and so did her grandchildren, but her children weren't listed. My brother, sister, and I got a big laugh about that. She is missed and lovingly remembered by her children, friends, and grandchildren.
~~ I Carry Your Heart with Me ~~
Wish Heaven had a phone so I could hear your voice again. I thought of you today, but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday, and the days before that too. I think of you in silence; I often speak your name. All I have are memories and a picture in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake, from which I'll never part.... God has you in His arms, I have you in my heart!
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