Maxine Andrews

Maxine Headen Andrews was born on August 23rd, 1928 to the late Elsie Owens and Landice Allen in Reidsville, North Carolina. Maxine was the eldest of four children. She had two brothers, Junebug, Joe Lester and one sister, Beatrice. At the age of 12 years old, due to the death of her grandmother, the children were split up amongst the family and Maxine was adopted by her Great Uncle and Aunt, Eugene and Geneva Headen. She moved and was raised in Chicago, Illinois.

She accepted the Lord as her savior at the age of 13 years old and was baptized on October 5th, 1941, at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago. She met Emanuel Lee Andrews, the son of her mother's friend, Mary Elizabeth Andrews. They soon fell in love and were married on August 13th, 1945, at Holy Trinity Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Maxine and Emanuel lived in the West End in Cincinnati, where they soon started a family. They had five children, Emanuel Jr., Portia, Nardie, Etsul and Raymond. After moving to Avondale, they were blessed with their sixth child, Donna Marie. Maxine was a homemaker and did some day work to help in their home. She was always active in the Church. Maxine and Emanuel always wanted a better life and education for the children, so they enrolled them in a catholic school in Clifton, Annunciation Parish. The family attended church on Sundays and the boys became altar boys as they came of age. In 1969, Maxine and Emanuel purchased a home in Skyline Acres in Colerain Township. In the Skyline community, it was a very special community, and they say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, Skyline was a village of many Mothers and Fathers who took pride in their community and pride in raising their children. All parents would correct the kids and call your parents if they saw you doing something wrong. They would also make sure you were respectful and gave you guidance when needed. Maxine was one of many Mothers of the village.

Maxine loved to sew and once made outfits for the entire family to wear to church. Maxine was a very talented cook and baker, whether it was fried chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, cornbread or coconut cake, German chocolate cake, carmel cake or her famous apple pie or those Famous homemade rolls. She knew her way around the kitchen. She would cook for the youth group at church on Wednesday nights and sell her baked goods to help raise money for the youth group trips. Maxine was a member at St. Marks Baptist Church on Compton Road. She once painted the fellowship hall with some help from other women church members. Due to a mix up with the wrong paint that was bought, she wound up repainting the hall almost single handedly. She always gave her best effort and devoted her life to the lord.

After she lost her husband, Emanuel, in February, 1992, she moved her membership to Union Baptist Church in downtown Cincinnati. She was active in the food pantry and cleaned the silver communion ware, as needed. She started a meal at the church for those who lost their loved ones, the After Pass Meals at Union. She also provided decorations for events and cooked many meals for the Pastor's anniversary, Church anniversary and Women's Day. She was involved in fashion shows at the church and was nicknamed the " Hat Lady " for all the pretty hats she wore to church with matching outfits. Soon, for health reasons, she had to retire from the kitchen. She also, along the way, met a friend at church, Abrian Hill. She helped him with his bills and cooked for him daily. They stayed next door to one another and helped one another along the way. Mom called it the exchange program. He helped clean and take her to her appointments and they shared their love for one another and companionship for quite a few years.

After Abrian passed, Maxine moved in with her son, Raymond, and daughter-in-law, Yvette. She truly enjoyed her time spent with the family. We enjoyed having her near us. Maxine really enjoyed Yvette's cooking, they ordered clothes out of books and they got along so well together it was truly a blessing to have her for almost 2 years with us.

On 12/28/22 the Lord called Maxine Home. She loved the Lord and her family, and her work was done here on earth. We will all miss that smile that would light up the room. She was the strongest woman I have ever known and she never quit or gave up on anything. Our family was blessed to have her for 94 years. May she Rest in Peace and we will see you again on the other side Maxine (MOM). And the Lord said, "Well done my faithful soldier, well done".

She leaves to mourn two sons, Etsul and Raymond; one daughter, Donna; two daughter-in- laws, Charmaine and Yvette; one son-in-law, Greg; eight grandkids, Ashley, Kevin, Robert, Shayla, Shirelle, Erica, Angielita, Poochie; and eight great-grandkids. Maxine was preceded in death by Emanuel Andrews Jr., Emanuel Andrews Sr., Nardie Andrews, and Portia Andrews.

Our family would like to thank everyone for your kind words, thoughts, prayers and acts of love and kindness during these sad times. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

I would also like to thank my wife, Yvette, for all the things she has done for my Mother over the years, cooking her meals, helping her to get dressed, assisting me to get her to medical appointments, the baths, the gifts you bought for her birthdays and Christmas. You treated her like your own mother and she loved you dearly. I thank GOD he brought you in my life. I will be eternally grateful for all you have done. I love you to LIFE. I will never forget at mom's 80th birthday, when we were at Red lobster, and mom went around the table to tell the waitress who everyone was and introduced you as my fiancé. She knew something I did not know at the time. That was so funny. She was a wise woman, as well. I miss her so much. But I have a lot of GREAT MEMORIES. LOVE YOU MOM!

I would also like to thank my brother from another mother, William Hargrave Jr., best man and best friend, and his wife, Leona, for checking in on mom every week and your prayers, with all the things she was up against, thanks for checking in on her. She loved you like her own son. It helped me get through things knowing you were both there for me as well. I love you my BROTHER and SISTER.

She walked and held her head up high, her eyes and heart were pointed toward the sky.

The love she gave was beyond compare. She cared for us and was always there. If she were here I'm sure she would say, "I'll see you soon on a brighter day. So when you walk, hold your head up high because I'll be watching from the sky.

~ The Family