Dates
Mary Esther Hankins ("The Beloved") was born January 17, 1937 to Luther and Bennie Pearl Alexander in East Palatka, FL. On March 17, 2017 Mary of San Angelo, Texas, finished her course in faith, and has now transferred her membership from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant. With a smile on her face, she is now back home with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and reunited with her daughter, Doreen, her parents Luther and Bennie Pearl Alexander and brother Kerry who preceded her in death.
At a very early age, she professed Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, and always believed that she could help anyone in need. Mary was a 1954 graduate of Central Academy High School, in Palatka, FL. She attended Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, FL and later served her country in the U.S. Army. On March 1974, she received her Certificate from Parish-Draughon"s College, in San Antonio, TX.
On December 22, 1956, she married her high school sweetheart, Nathaniel, and it was a marriage that lasted 60 years. During those years, while Nathaniel was in the Air Force, they lived in Hampton VA, Riverside CA, San Angelo, San Antonio, Crete Greece, Darmstadt Germany, Wakkanai Japan and Clark AFB Philippines.
Mary was one of the founding members that formed the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen to feed the hungry, in 1984. Hence, her true passion was her role as director of the The Daily Soup Kitchen for many years. She truly enjoyed trying to help those in need! For five years, she was a member of the Norwest Bank Community Advisory Board and served over five years as member of RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) Board. She was also a member of the Concerned Citizens Organization of San Angelo (CCOSA), and a member of SALT (San Angelo Living Together).
Mary was a charter member of the Le Coterie Society, which started in 1983 and served three terms as President, as well as a member till 2001. Mary was a past Board member of the Concho Valley Regional Food Bank, Healthy Families of San Angelo, and the San Angelo Day Nursery. At the Southwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Churches, she was Chairperson of the Religion and Race Committee, Secretary for Council on Ministries Board, a member of Priority Funding Committee, and a Delegate to Jurisdictional Conference in Dallas.
In 1990, she was awarded the NAACP Outstanding Community Service Award. In 1992, Mary was awarded the UMM "Doer" Award. In 1993 she was awarded the SWTC, Charles T. Hardt Peace with Justice Award. Also in 1998 Bishop Ray Owen awarded her the Bishop's Exemplar Award for the San Angelo District.
Also in 1998, when her husband was appointed to St. Peters United Methodist Church in Corpus Christi, TX, she was the Director of the Timons Ministry. There she was responsible for a quarter of a million dollars renovation and rehab of the ministry into its new location. It is a ministry that is still going strong today! And in 2007 the Girl Scouts awarded Mary as a Woman of Distinction. On January 21, 2014, Mary and Hank were awarded the "Citizens of the of the Year" for 2013 by the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce. Most of all, she is thankful that she was able to serve God during her lifetime.
To cherish her memories are her husband Rev. Nathaniel "Hank" Hankins, son, Darryl (Glennis), grandchildren: Chaveaus, Darrion, Matt and Taryn. Sister Deborah Williams; many nieces, nephews and cousins. Good friend Ethel Johnson, God Daughter Ramona Curtis and all her church member.
A Visitation will be held from 6:00- 8:00 PM on Friday, March 24, 2017 at Harper Funeral Home. The Funeral Service is 2:00 PM on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at First United Methodist Church with burial to follow at Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens.