MAHANA, Edith Alva

Arizona Silver Belt, Globe, Arizona, Tuesday, April 07, 2015 Edith Alva (Sims) Mahana, age 89, passed away on March 31, 2015 at the Huger Mercy Living Center in Phoenix, Ariz. from Alzheimer’s. Edith was born June 15, 1925 in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. to Alva M. and Inez Sims. She was the eldest daughter of seven children. Her parents and family moved from Tennessee to Prescott, Ariz. in 1928, where she grew up attending grade school and high school. After graduating from high school in 1943, she joined the Cadet Nurses program at Good Samaritan Hospital and graduated in 1946. She moved back to Prescott and worked at Whipple VA Hospital. In 1948, Edith married the love of her life, Ollie “Mack” Mahana, and resided in Phoenix, Prescott, Ray, and Globe, wherever Mack’s job took him as an Electrical Foreman for APS. In addition to raising their five children, she worked as a billing clerk for APS while residing in Ray and then moved to Globe and worked at Gila General Hospital as an RN in Labor and Delivery and retired in 1974. Edith was active in church wherever she lived. While living in Globe, she served as a Deaconess at Maranatha Baptist Church using her special talents baking her lemon meringue pies, brownies, anything sweet for potlucks, quilting or making afghans for expecting mothers or wedding gifts, and of course making up batches of homemade ice cream for every social at church. When Mack and Edith retired to Phoenix, Edith became an active member at Palmcroft Baptist Church, working with the Children’s Ministries and Willing Martha’s making blankets for Crisis Pregnancy Center and book bags for the children on the Navajo Reservation and many other projects. She was preceded in death by her parents, Alva and Inez Sims; three brothers, Lewis, Karl, and Gene Sims; her sister, Patricia (Robert) McAlister; and her husband, Ollie “Mack” Mahana. She is survived by her sisters, Mary Sims (Collins) and Barbara (Dexter) Gill; her children, Edith Kathleen (Richard) Mann, Gary Lee (Jackie) Mahana, Larry Mack (JoHannah) Mahana, Randall Lloyd Mahana, and Molly Colleen Mahana (Norman) and her step-daughters, MaryAnn Jeffers and Anna Read. She has 15 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at 10 a.m. at Palmcroft Baptist Church, 15825 N 35th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Palmcroft Baptist Church, Children’s Ministries. Arrangements were provided by Phoenix Memorial Park & Mortuary and Palmcroft Baptist Church. Online condolences can be left at Edith Mahana memorial at www.phoenixmemorialmortuary.com.. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Huger Mercy Living Center and the wonderful care they provided to Edith during her stay and final days.