Submitted by: Dan Rich
South Bend Tribune 2/22/1998
SOUTH BEND - Mrs. Leadia Blanche Fikes,
80, loving wife, mother, sister and grandmother who resided on
Jefferson Boulevard, South Bend, Ind., passed from this life
after a brief illness at 12:20 a.m. on Thurs-day, Feb. 19, at
Cardinal Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. On Aug. 12, 1917, she
was born to the union of Polly Smith Hawkins and Fincher Hawkins,
in Spartanburg, S.C. In 1940, she united in marriage to Claude
Fikes, in Spartanburg. Coming from Nashville, Tenn., in 1950, she
moved to South Bend. Mrs. Fikes retired from St. Mary's Academy
after 10 years of employment. She was a member of Berean
Seventh-day Adventist for many years.
She leaves to mourn her loss, her husband,
Claude Fikes of South Bend; three daughters, Joann Phillips,
Michelle (Harmon) Fikes Chapman, both of South Bend, and
Susan Goshen of Columbus, Ga.; five sons, Norman (Faye) of
Stone Mountain, Ga., David Lee of Detroit, Mich., Andre of Grand
Rapids, Mich., Kenneth (Gloria) and Michael, both of South Bend;
20 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; 10
great-great-grandchildren; two sisters, Frances Frye of
Spartanburg and Amanda Wilson of South Bend; three
brothers, Finch Hawkins and Charles Hawkins, both of Youngstown,
Ohio and Thomas Hawkins of Alexandria, Va., along with a host of
other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by four sisters,
Hattie Hellams, Ruby West, Ethel Hughes and
Mammie Hawkins; and by four brothers, Jessie Hawkins, Elford
Hawkins, Russell Hawkins and James Hawkins.
Funeral services will be held at noon on
Monday at Alford's Mortuary. Interment will follow in Highland
Cemetery. Visitation will occur one hour before the service.