Stella Marion Hawes

Stella Marion Hawes, 91, born in Maceo, Kentucky on October 24, 1920 passed away on Monday, August 27, 2012 in Mineral Wells, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Ruth Lloyd Petri and her husband Samuel (Sam) Arthur Hawes. Marion was raised in Maceo, Kentucky and attended Daviess County Schools were she graduated Valedictorian in Owensboro, Kentucky. She married the love of her life Sam on July 3, 1942.Marion is survived by her two sons Doug and Dave Hawes, daughter-in-law Shirl, and grandchildren Ali Hawes Buhay and Josh Hawes.Before moving to Mineral Wells in 1949, she supported Sam by working in the offices of a walkie talkie assembly plant while he served as an Army Air Corp P-38 pilot with the 96 Fighter Squadron over North Africa. As a member of what we call the "Greatest Generation" she had a strong sense of duty to her country and husband to do her part to support the war effort. After his tour of duty in Europe, Sam was transferred to California where he trained P-38 pilots for the Pacific Theater. This is the period of her life where she gained a love of flying. Sam would put her behind his seat (piggy back) in the cockpit of the P-38 and fly her up and down the valleys of northern California. After the war, Sam attended the University of Texas where Marion supported his efforts by working on top secret ballistic testing at the Balcones Research Center in Austin Texas. Upon graduation, Marion and Sam moved to Mineral Wells and worked together to build a successful clay tile plant.Loving her family and home, Marion was a great wife, mother and grandmother. She was smart, and had a sense of humor that could catch you off guard. Marion loved camping and gardening. She was a pianist, artist, bridge player and an accomplished chess player. Her cooking skills were next to none and she taught both her sons to cook by age of eight. She held to strong principles of integrity and intellectual honesty. She worked hard at everything she did and always gave every endeavor her full measure. Marion found the time to be an organizer and charter member of the Mineral Wells Hospital Auxiliary. She worked diligently to sign petitioners to change the city charter to a city manager form of government. She was active in community service by being a Cub Scout den mother where she had a profound impact on many boys' lives. She organized community blood drives and was active in the PTA and all those booster clubs throughout her sons' school years. Given all of her time in supporting her family and community, Marion still found time to fulfill her life passion of flying. She worked hard and obtained her pilot's license and loved flying at every opportunity.The family wishes to thank the staff of Mineral Wells Nursing and Rehabilitation for their constant care and attention to Marion's needs. Also, the family extends a special thank you to Dr. Singh for his compassion in helping Marion through her end of life care. Funeral Services will be held 2 PM Friday, August 31, 2012 in the Baum-Carlock-Bumgardner Chapel. Burial will follow in Woodland Park Cemetery.In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be given to the American Heart Association in Marion's name.