Mary Louise Firkins

Mary Louise Firkins entered into heaven Tuesday morning, November 22, 2022, in Jackson, Michigan, where she moved in December 2020 to be near family. She was born in Girard, Kansas, on August 12, 1929, to Riley (James Riley) Dalton and Stella Ester (Studyvin) Dalton. Her family moved to Independence, Kansas, during her senior year of high school, where she was the Salutatorian of her graduating class. She married Lewis Warnock in 1947 and became a farmer’s wife in western Kansas with a whole different life to learn, which she embraced with love and enthusiasm. Through the years, they lived in Flagler, Colorado, Ulysses and Holcomb, Kansas, and then moved to Buckeye, Colorado, in 1960 where she fell in love with the Rocky Mountains and lived in the Fort Collins area for 60 years. She was preceded in death by Lewis in 1968. Three daughters were born to her and Lewis, Patricia (Patty) Schwindt (Larry), who preceded Mary Louise in death in 1989, Peggy Miles (Brad) of Jackson, Michigan, and Phyllis Hurst (Neal) of Maricopa, Arizona. And in 1975 when Mary Louise fell in love with and married Oliver (Ollie) Firkins (who predeceased her in 2015), she was blessed with three additional daughters, Patricia (Patty) Jeffers (Brent) of Sidney, Nebraska, Cheryl Eyermann (Roger) of Roanoke, Virginia, and Robin Geu (Kenneth) of Sidney, Nebraska. Mary Louise was in church with her family since she was an infant and came to love and trust Jesus as her personal savior as a preteen. She wasted no time locating a church where she could serve Him upon moving to Colorado, and the family made Immanuel Southern Baptist Church (now City Park Church) their church home in 1960 where she actively served until she moved to Michigan at the end of 2020. She enjoyed teaching children’s Sunday School, loving and ministering to CSU students and international women in town because of CSU, helping children learn the Bible in AWANA, and participating in women’s Bible studies. She loved music and had a beautiful voice, singing in the church choir and the women’s choir of Fort Collins. She really appreciated beautiful things - God’s displays of beauty in the mountains and birds, music and home furnishings, and she expressed her giftedness and creativity in decorating, sewing, embroidery, knitting, crochet and cooking. Mary Louise had a tremendous work ethic and taught her daughters the piano, sewing, cooking, housekeeping, always encouraging them in their school work, and never missing a school event or performance they were involved in. Even in the midst of critical illness, pain or difficult circumstances, Mary Louise was known for the way she always made people feel important and loved, and for her gorgeous smile. Watching the beautiful birds that would come to the feeders in her yard, fly fishing, camping, elk hunting and hiking with Ollie, and gardening were some of her hobbies. She was also an avid reader – her Bible was her very favorite where she highlighted many of the Psalms and turned them back to God in prayer. She was a real prayer warrior, bold in sharing her faith in Christ, and gently encouraging her daughters and others with carefully chosen Bible verses God would lay on her heart for them. In addition to husbands Lewis and Ollie and daughter Patricia, she was preceded in death by her sisters, Thelma Whiteman Lake, Lilly Warnock and Dorothy Klumpp, and her brother Harvey Dalton. Mary Louise is survived by 13 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, 4 great-great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. A funeral service will be held at 1 pm at City Park Church with a graveside service following. Family visitation will be at 12 pm, and general visitation at 12:30. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to City Park Church, Samaritan’s Purse or Wounded Warriors.

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Mary Louise Firkins

August 12, 1929 - November 22, 2022