Martha Paula Hawkins

Our mother passed away peacefully at Portneuf Medical Center, Pocatello, Idaho, on Friday, June 27, 2014 at the age of 84 due to the long-term effects of diabetes. She was born at home on the family farm near Huntland, Franklin County, Tennessee, to Paul Dismukes Woods and Ida Watson Woods. She was the third of nine children and the oldest daughter. As a young girl she worked hard on the family farm milking and tending cows, helping raise her younger siblings and going to school. She attended Huntland High School where she loved playing on the girls' basketball team. She remained competitive throughout her life, as evidenced by coaching a youth team when she was seventy years old.

On October 15, 1945, when she was sixteen she married the love of her life, Leroy Hawkins. They farmed around the Huntland area until 1950 when they moved to the American Falls-Aberdeen area in Idaho. While our dad worked for the Union Pacific Railroad and mom was a homemaker, they raised their family of five children. Our mother was a Sunday school teacher for many years, was a devout Christian and loved children and young people. There are many adults around Pocatello who fondly remember going on her "excursions" as she called them as children, swimming, fishing, hiking and learning about plants and the outdoors. She loved to take children fishing at Rock Creek, swimming at Indian Springs and hiking around Bear Lake on the annual family camping and boating outing. After her first grandchild was born, she was called "Grandmother" for the rest of her life by everyone who knew her, including adults, except Dad who always called her Polly. Much of her legacy is the positive effect she had on these many children, especially those in her own extended family. Mom was also known for her willingness to help those in need and over the years assisted many poor people, indigent migrants and others, some of whom came back years later as successful business people and members of society to thank her. This, too, is part of her legacy and she taught her family these Christian values.

Mother was preceded in death by three brothers, William Joseph, Paul Dismukes Jr., David Lipscomb, one sister, Virginia Sons, two grandchildren Shaun and Drew Hawkins and son-in-law Steven Swore.

She is survived by her husband, Leroy, sisters Mary Ellen Holmes, Dora Simmons (James), Louise Bates (Johnny) and brother Walter Haynes Woods (Joan); sons Connie (Linda), Mike, Chris (Jennifer), Boyd (Felicia), and daughter Brenda Swore; grandchildren Kimberly Hawkins, Kristy Giron (Marcus), Kelly Hawkins (Aniele), Ashley Hawkins, Casey Hawkins, Nicholas Hawkins, Erica McGinnis (Loren), Heather Hawkins and Stephanie Stoddard (Jarom); great grandchildren Sydney and Judson Kochevar, Jacob, Benjamin and Vivienne Giron, Lyla and Ava Hawkins and Sophie McGinnis.

Our family very much appreciates the care given to our mother over the years by Drs. Call, Rahim, Haderlie, D'Souza, Vasquez, Helping Hands Home Health, and the staffs at Idaho Kidney Center and Portneuf Medical Center.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 2, 2014 at the Calvary Alliance Church at 800 Marinus Lane in Pocatello. Family will greet friends at a visitation from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, 2014 at Wilks Funeral Home 211 W. Chubbuck Road and one hour prior to services at the church. Interment will follow services in the Mountain View Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family online at wilksfuneralhome.com.