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Mabel Mae Wilkerson
Mabel Mae Messall Hawkins Wilkerson passed away on Saturday, January 21, 2017. Mabel was born May 3, 1924 in Sykeston, North Dakota to Ernest Messall and Lillian Kritzer. She worked on the family farms until she married Orville Hawkins in 1942. They had four children together: Larry Hawkins (wife Glenda) Pinehurst, Diana Schritter (husband Len) Meridian, Idaho, Colleen Braun, Kellogg, and Ken Hawkins (wife Nanci), Coeur d'Alene. Mabel moved from North Dakota to the Kingston area in 1952. She belonged to a sewing club and enjoyed crocheting and embroidering as well as gardening. The family had two milk cows and she milked them morning and evening to make the best cottage cheese and butter. On Saturdays she would get out the big cast iron frying pan and she and the kids would make donuts. Friends and family knew of her Saturday morning ritual and would come over to join them for milk, coffee and donuts. She was famous for her love of water fights (not squirt guns, but buckets and hoses). Orville was killed in a logging accident in 1963. Mabel married Phil Wilkerson in 1967 and they lived on the outskirts of Wallace and owned the Wilkies Kit Trailer Sales for several years. They retired to the Beyond Hope resort on Lake Pend Oreille. There she enjoyed gardening, feeding the deer and spending lots of time with family. They later moved to Post Falls where Mabel continued with her gardening. There she acquired a pet cockatiel which she named Chee Chee who became a faithful companion. She became very active at the Calvary Lutheran Church. One thing the Dorcas quilting ladies could always count on was Mabel being there to unlock the doors and be waiting for the sewing machines to start humming. Mabel would sew together many quilts a year. She also was very active in fixing lunches for funerals and pastors meetings. She was always available any time the church ladies were called to help. After Phil passed away in 2000, Mabel stayed at the house until 2009. At that time her life took on a drastic change after she suffered a massive stroke. She moved to the Pacifica (Beehive) Assisted Living facility in Pinehurst where she continued to brighten everyone's days with her ready smile. In typical Mabel style, she made the best of every situation and she loved her caregivers as much as they loved her. Every day was spent teasing and giving each other a hard time. Mabel would shake her finger at anyone that she felt needed a little scolding and they would all laugh. Mabel is survived by her four children; her stepson, David Wilkerson and wife Loraine; three sisters, Elsie Clark, Alice Phelps and Lois White. She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Raymond and Harold; grandson, Jason Mann; son-in-law, Ralph Braun; and step-daughter, Sheila McCoy. Services will be held at 3 PM on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at the Calvary Lutheran Church, 1011 N. Compton Street, Post Falls with a viewing at 2:30 PM. A reception will follow the funeral service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Calvary Lutheran Church or Hospice of North Idaho, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, ID 83835. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff of Pacifica Assisted Living for the love, care and concern they extended to Mabel during her stay there.May 3, 1924 - January 21, 201705/03/192401/21/2017
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Mabel Mae Wilkerson
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