Obituary for Mae Belle Hancock
Mae Belle Whitley Hancock was the youngest of seven children born to George and Julia Tisdale Whitley in Lawtey, Florida. She was a “daddy’s girl” and lovingly called “Bessie” by her siblings. She often mentioned he would say “Belle come over here and give me a kiss”. Bessie was a high achiever in school garnering the title of valedictorian as a graduate of RJE High School in Starke. A major feat considering she studied by candle light because there was no electricity. Many spoke of “that little Whitley girl” in regards to her academic ability and her prowess in Algebra. She stressed “get them books” and “there is no such thing as can’t”. She and her sister, Ernestine, played on the school basketball team. She loved sports especially basketball and baseball. She loved her dog “Boosie” named after a dear, long time friend.
Mae Belle later married Jadie Hancock, Jr. of Aiken, South Carolina January 15, 1955. From their union they had three daughters. Sharon (deceased) and Fonda Hancock of Daytona Beach, Florida , Phyllis Hancock of Orlando, Florida. She had one granddaughter and best friend Jade Whitley Hancock of Daytona Beach, Florida attending college at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. Her siblings remained in Florida: Eloise Bright of Gainesville (deceased), Nathaniel Whitley of Lawtey (deceased), Ora Lee Jackson of Brooksville (deceased), Idella White of Lawtey (deceased), Tommie Lee Whitley of Miami (deceased), and Ernestine Thompkins of Starke, Florida
Mae Belle’s Christian journey began as a young girl by her mother, Julia at St. Johns Baptist Church of Lawtey,
Florida. In her own words, “back then during the depression we were so poor we did not own a Bible”. She read it when they went to church. She took paper and pencil
with her to church and wrote down the names of all the books in the Bible to memorize them. As an adult, she
continued to read the Bible, with a lingering question
Why is there one God yet all these different churches?” (Eph 4:4-6). Later in life, her husband met Brother J. P. Henry, minister of the Factory Street Church of Christ in Rockledge, Florida. As a family, they worshipped at that congregation. She listened attentively, but did not obey immediately. The family eventually moved to Daytona Beach in 1969. She continued to study her Bible (2Tim 2:15) and started worshipping with Brother William Ponder at the Campbell Street Church of Christ now known as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd Church of Christ. Brother Ponder helped guide her through the Bible (Act 8:31). When she was ready, she made good on her promise to return to Rockledge for her baptism by Brother J. P. Henry into the Church of Christ which follows the doctrine of the Apostles taught by Jesus Christ. Afterwards, she enlisted Bro. Ponder to go to Lawtey to teach her family about the Church of Christ. She loved her family and wanted to share the truth with them. Mae Belle was the vessel that created the pathway of establishing the Church of Christ in Lawtey. Martin Luther King Blvd Church of Christ is where she often recited the names of the books of the Bible in the Senior Bible Bowl (Prov 22:6) under Brother Rico Brown. She remained faithful in attendance at the Beville Road Church of Christ of Daytona Beach until her stroke March 2015 (Rev 14:13).
Love was all around her. Fonda Hancock as her primary caregiver, Phyllis, Jade, Marvetta Hill, and Hyacinth Rambow as secondary care givers; Robert Lee White, nephew as her most frequent visitor; family and close friends, visits, calls, encouragement and prayers. Mae Belle’s body broke but she never lost her cheerful spirit and her sense of humor. In rehab she told them “She was ready to fight Joe Lewis, bring him on”. She found contentment in whatever circumstance. Mae Belle transitioned to God Tuesday, October 1, 2019 from Halifax Hospital Hospice Center in Port Orange, Florida.
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Mae Belle later married Jadie Hancock, Jr. of Aiken, South Carolina January 15, 1955. From their union they had three daughters. Sharon (deceased) and Fonda Hancock of Daytona Beach, Florida , Phyllis Hancock of Orlando, Florida. She had one granddaughter and best friend Jade Whitley Hancock of Daytona Beach, Florida attending college at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. Her siblings remained in Florida: Eloise Bright of Gainesville (deceased), Nathaniel Whitley of Lawtey (deceased), Ora Lee Jackson of Brooksville (deceased), Idella White of Lawtey (deceased), Tommie Lee Whitley of Miami (deceased), and Ernestine Thompkins of Starke, Florida
Mae Belle’s Christian journey began as a young girl by her mother, Julia at St. Johns Baptist Church of Lawtey,
Florida. In her own words, “back then during the depression we were so poor we did not own a Bible”. She read it when they went to church. She took paper and pencil
with her to church and wrote down the names of all the books in the Bible to memorize them. As an adult, she
continued to read the Bible, with a lingering question
Why is there one God yet all these different churches?” (Eph 4:4-6). Later in life, her husband met Brother J. P. Henry, minister of the Factory Street Church of Christ in Rockledge, Florida. As a family, they worshipped at that congregation. She listened attentively, but did not obey immediately. The family eventually moved to Daytona Beach in 1969. She continued to study her Bible (2Tim 2:15) and started worshipping with Brother William Ponder at the Campbell Street Church of Christ now known as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd Church of Christ. Brother Ponder helped guide her through the Bible (Act 8:31). When she was ready, she made good on her promise to return to Rockledge for her baptism by Brother J. P. Henry into the Church of Christ which follows the doctrine of the Apostles taught by Jesus Christ. Afterwards, she enlisted Bro. Ponder to go to Lawtey to teach her family about the Church of Christ. She loved her family and wanted to share the truth with them. Mae Belle was the vessel that created the pathway of establishing the Church of Christ in Lawtey. Martin Luther King Blvd Church of Christ is where she often recited the names of the books of the Bible in the Senior Bible Bowl (Prov 22:6) under Brother Rico Brown. She remained faithful in attendance at the Beville Road Church of Christ of Daytona Beach until her stroke March 2015 (Rev 14:13).
Love was all around her. Fonda Hancock as her primary caregiver, Phyllis, Jade, Marvetta Hill, and Hyacinth Rambow as secondary care givers; Robert Lee White, nephew as her most frequent visitor; family and close friends, visits, calls, encouragement and prayers. Mae Belle’s body broke but she never lost her cheerful spirit and her sense of humor. In rehab she told them “She was ready to fight Joe Lewis, bring him on”. She found contentment in whatever circumstance. Mae Belle transitioned to God Tuesday, October 1, 2019 from Halifax Hospital Hospice Center in Port Orange, Florida.
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Previous Events
Visitation
Sunday
6
Oct
6:00 PM
- 8:00 PM
Pinkney-Smith Funeral Home - Gainesville
727 NW 2nd Street
Gainesville, FL 32601
Service
Monday
7
Oct
12:00 PM
Lawtey Church Of Christ
22916 Lynwood Avenue
Lawtey, FL 32058
Cemetery Details
Location
Lawtey Peetsville Memorial Cemetery
21156 County Road 200 B
Lawtey, FL 32058
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