Dixie Lee Hawkins

To be absent on earth is to be present with the Lord. Dixie Lee Hawkins, born Dixie Lee Hodge, passed away on January 28, 2022, in her hometown of Salem, Oregon. Dixie was one of four children born to Charles and Lauretta Hodge on May 9, 1939, in Lewiston, Idaho. She is survived by her siblings Sharon Wilson and Pat Hodge; her children Jeanne Hawkins, Scott Hawkins, and Gwen Hawkins-Morse and four grandchildren; Matthew, Marcail, Kyle, and Kacy. She is preceded in death by her oldest sister Shirley, her husband of 65-years, Floyd Paul, and her oldest grandson Christopher. Mama was well known for her homemade quilts, teddy bears, and bunnies, along with many oil and acrylic paintings. She loved to do counted cross-stitch while listening to her favorite music. She even won a blue ribbon at the county fair for one of her paintings, and it still hangs in her home today. Her creations made our home feel cozy and inviting. She also loved gospel music. Sunday afternoons after church would find her at the organ or piano playing hymns, with all of us standing around her, singing along. To this day those songs echo through our minds. As a dedicated wife and mother, her home and family were her very essence. Anyone stopping by for a visit was welcome to sit awhile with a homemade dessert and fresh coffee. One time, a pastor friend came by for a home visit, and mom was deeply embarrassed that she only had some store-bought coffee cake to offer him. We often teased her that she should try out for Better Homes and Gardens, as our house was always company ready, no matter the time of day. In her later years, she loved long drives through the countryside to see the deer and farm animals, and watching her religious videos. We will miss her gentle smile and her love of crafts and music. Now she is walking the streets of gold, hand-in-hand with her sweetheart. Together again for all eternity. RIP mom...we love you. --