Obituary of Mary Lee Hutchins

On 8/20/20 Mary Lee Hutchins spread her new wings and went to her forever home. Mary was with us for 90 years, she was born in Plainwell MI on 2/12/1930 to Stanley and Mildred (Barker) Haist. The 3rd of 7 children. The family had moved to Galesburg MI by the time she was about 10. The family was very poor and Mary worked from an early age. She moved to Indiana at the age of 12 to be a caregiver for an elderly relative. She went to school while still doing her job.She moved back to Galesburg and attended school there. At the age of 16 she worked at a TB hospital in Battle Creek where she meant a man from Tennessee. While walking toward him in the hall she told her sister she was going to marry that man. That man was Robert Clifton Hutchins. Robert moved home. Mary at 16 hitchhiked to Murfreesboro TN to find him. They were married 2 months later on 7/24/1946. That marriage lasted 48 years until Robert passed on 11/29/1994. In those years Mary gave birth to 6 children. Twin sons Donnie Lee and JD both dying at birth. Son Ronnie Lee Hutchins deceased 2/11/20 son Roger Clifton Hutchins deceased 2/9/2018, daughters Donnia and (Terry) McMeekan of Galesburg and daughter Terry and (Larry) Peck of Galesburg. Mary was a very artistic person a very vibrant dresser she could wear a hat like no other lady.She loved to draw with pastels. Many of her drawings hang in family homes.Mary was always a animal lover. While raising her kids their were always cats, dog, turtles lizards and many birds. She took in an injured Starling once and taught it to talk. That bird drove Cliff (Robert) crazy with the sound of the phone ringing. In late years she put her hand to writing children stories. She wrote 2 short stories she did all the illustrations and had them printed to give to all her children.Our whole family loved music. Some of Mommas best memories are of Daddy playing his banjo, Ron and Roger on their guitars and us girls singing. Momma has left us but we will see her in the faces of her 10 grandchildren 12 great grandchildren and 12 great great grandchildren. After being widowed for many years Mary meant Bobby Sargent the second love of her life. They loved traveling and their second home in FL. They were together for eight years before Bobby's passing and she was alone again.Mary had crippling Arthritis that stopped her from doing the things she loved. Her pain was horrible, the Good Lord has ended that pain and she moves freely with her family in Heaven. A few words in a paper are not enough to honor our Momma. We do know she was the best mom for our family. We love her and will miss her every day. We know she is happy pain free and will greet us when we go home. At Mary's request cremation has taken place and she will be laid to rest with Robert at Fort Custer National Cemetery.