Obituary of Maxine Gill Bearden

Mrs. Maxine Gill Bearden passed away in Dale Medical Center on Tuesday, December 18, 2018 at 2:25 PM. She was 88 years old. Funeral Services will be held 2:00 PM on Friday, December 21, 2018 at Ozark Baptist Church with Reverend Dr. Eric Fuller and Reverend Dr. Michael Davis officiating. Interment will follow in Woodlawn Memory Gardens with Holman Funeral Home of Ozark directing. The family will receive friends Friday in the church sanctuary from 12:00 Noon until service time. Mrs. Bearden was born on November 23, 1930 in Shelby County, Alabama. She has been a servant of the King for 80 years and an active member of Ozark Baptist Church for 48 years. Her life was embodied by her love for God, her family and her church. Her passion in serving was missions. She was involved in volunteer missions with the North American Mission Board, the Alabama Baptist Convention and the Dale Baptist Association. She had the honor of making two foreign mission trips, to Nigeria and Venezuela, and one North American Mission Trip to Alaska. Even after her trips were no longer possible, she sacrificially gave and prayed without ceasing. Every morning with her Bible, devotionals and her Missions Mosaic she read and prayed. Her love for WMU and GAs was foremost in her heart, serving as GA director for more than 20 years and as the Dale Association WMU director for 15. She was devoted to her lady’s Sunday School Class. They were her AGAPE. She visited, baked cakes, sent notes and prayed for them. She loved singing alto in the choir and when she could no longer go up into the choir loft, sat in a pew with her hands and voice lifted in Praise to Her God. She touched so many lives: in Vacation Bible School (always the Mission’s lady), through Operator Christmas Child (she and Quincy were the first in Dale Association to carry shoeboxes to Dothan), prayer walking the schools of Ozark, working at the Association Missions Store (she was so proud of it), and to grieving families (her precious smile as she served them her rolls with the church family bereavement meals). Her favorite phrase was “To God Be The Glory”. She was preceded in death by Quincy Bearden, her devoted husband of 70 years. Also preceding her in death were her parents, Cecil and Maggie Gill, three young brothers and a precious sister-in-law. She is survived by her five children; Faye (Kerry) Brown of Ozark, Cathy Frizzell of Opelika, James Mack/Bo Bearden (Susan) of Watkinsville, Georgia, Pam (Mike) Newman of Pike Road and Karen (Jerry) Goodson of Ariton; ten grandchildren, Deanna (Rusty) Henson, Matthew (Cherlyn) Brown, Kimberly (Robbie) Henderson, Carianne (Troy) Stinson, Elizabeth (Matt) Tuttle, Clair Goodson, Sarah (Will) Neumeier, Kala Goodson, Courtney (Brad) Bowling, and Samantha Bearden; thirteen great grandchildren, Hunter and Catherine Henson, Brennen and Chandler Brown, Trent and Evan Henderson, Emily, Ben and Norah Stinson, Mary Mac Tuttle, Duke Goodson, Austin and Brayden Neumeier. She is also survived by a brother, Jimmy (Joyce) Gill and a sister, Joyce (Embry) Robertson both of Harpersville, Alabama and a host of friends and church family. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions through her church, Ozark Baptist Church, 282 South Union Avenue, Ozark, Alabama 36360. Pallbearers will be Matthew Brown, Troy Stinson, Rusty Henson, Robbie Henderson, Matthew Tuttle, Brad Bowling, Will Neumeier, Hunter Henson, Brennen Brown, Chandler Brown.