Mae Gover Hedrick

Mae Gover Hedrick, age 92, was born May 16, 1922 in Granger, Iowa to John Elva & Stacy Emmaline Evans Gover. She went to be with her Lord & Saviour Friday, September 5, 2014 following struggles with Lewy Body Dementia. As a young child her family traveled with their belongings by horse drawn wagon & a pickup in the mid-1920s from Iowa to central Missouri where they would live in several towns around the Lake of the Ozarks. Eighth grade graduation was from Clarksburg School, Missouri, where she wore a dress which her sister had made...the dress was kept and she recently once again fit into it. Typhoid Fever in the tenth grade prevented her from finishing high school but when she was well enough she began working at various jobs including as a waitress and in a church office. It was hard living on the Harrison farm outside Eldon, Missouri, but she would gladly share about no indoor plumbing while living at home, smoking the meat of hogs they raised and Molly the Mule. Mae made a profession of her faith as a 13 year old during a revival at Osage Baptist Church, Missouri. The following night her dad made a profession of his faith and they were baptised together in a creek.

Until 91 years old she taught Sunday School from preschool children though senior adults. Mae believed in being involved in missions leading GAs, GA camp & YWA, providing Operation Christmas Child boxes through Samaritan's Purse and supporting missions offerings. Mae was a bookkeeper for more than 35 years in Graham, TX and Austin, TX, retiring at the age of 72. Always a lover of animals, after her retirement she became involved in having neighborhood feral cats spayed & neutered as well as rescuing newly born feral kittens, bottle feeding and socializing them until ready for adoption. Two, Possum & Patches, were kept by Mae & Judith and have been important parts of their lives.

Mae inherited the love of entertaining, cooking and baking from her mother learning to cook on a wood stove as a young girl and continued cooking until she no longer had the stamina to stand at the stove. Holidays were family times and enough food prepared to feed many more than the six to eight that would be there. The “record keeper” kept records of what was prepared for Christmases, Thanksgivings and Easter dinners and other holidays. Friends and neighbors looked forward to cranberry jelly and cheeseballs each Christmas. The family especially misses the divinity (which she could make in any weather), pralines, banana pudding and pies. The mini cheesecakes were a hit wherever they were taken. To preserve her recipes a family cookbook was compiled which included photos and information from throughout her life...wish we had some of her dumplings!

Mae could have some strong opinions and carried many through life. One was she did not like her first name given at birth because of it being a boy's name, possibly a friend of her mother. After leaving home she made the change to using her middle name, Mae, as her given name, although it took most of her family many years to start using it. Some never did. Her daughter, though knowing the name, understood the dislike and promised to never tell anyone, including the grandchildren. That promise continues to now. However, when the grandchildren were older they were determined to learn it on their own. And they did!

The family moved to Texas in 1943 from Tennessee where her daughter, Judith, was born. Mae had many friends in all of the places where the family lived. Friends in Paint Rock, TX, began the collection of Fostoria crystal; a Friendship quilt from Buford, TX; “Moe” became name called by Merle; Margaret, faithfully came each Tuesday to take trash bins to the street. Mae's laugh would easily give her away when in the room with her. We look forward to hearing it again.

Mae was predeceased by her parents, John and Emma Gover; brothers, Jim Gover, Frank Gover, Johnny Gover; sister, Ruth Gover Saunders; nephews, Ed Gover and Ernie Saunders, Jr; niece, Wilma Gover Hathaway. She is survived by daughter, Judith Hedrick Koon, Austin; granddaughter & husband, Stacye Koon Walden & Chris, Panama City, FL; grandson & wife, Joel Koon & Sonja, Wake Forest, NC; four great-grandchildren to whom she was known as GGMa: Alexander, Amber and Andrew Koon, Ashley Walden; brother, Bill Gover, Hilmar, CA; niece, Louise Gover Campell; nephews, Dan & Jim Gover. She had a special relationship with a dear friend, the late Mildred Perrin of Hutto, who made the most delicious “Perrin Blueberry Banana Pie”. That relationship continued with Mildred's children: Letha, Margaret, Eilene, Ethel, Debbie, Dottie, Keith, Wanda and their families.