If We All Had a Love Like This

Uncle Will (Bill) Maxey

Aunt Mindy Maxey and my cousin, Wayne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

William Henry (Bill) Maxey was my great-great uncle.  He was born Oct. 9, 1888 in Marion County Arkansas.  In 1910 he married Minda Mary Beavers.  She was born Sept. 28, 1889 and raised in the Advance community near Buffalo City, Arkansas.  They moved to Rush, Arkansas where Uncle Will's family lived. Uncle Will and Aunt Mindy never had any children of their own but took in and raised children that needed a home.  

Uncle Will and Aunt Mindy were good, kind, hard working people and were quick to lend a hand when someone needed something.  When I came along in 1955 they were living in what locals refer to as the Bundy House.  I remember Aunt Mindy wearing a canning apron and being in the kitchen.  When we would go visit them she would always find a snack for us kids.  She was very kind and loving.

Uncle Will died at age 76 on March 8, 1965 as a result of a boat accident on Buffalo River. He had left home and walked to Tony Bend to bring a boat down the river.  When he failed to return neighbors began looking for him.  When they couldn't find him the sheriff's office was asked to aid in the search about midnight.  His boat was finally found against a willow tree underwater about a mile below Tony Bend.  The search continued and Uncle Will's body was found by Fred Dirst, Bill Keeling, and Henry Johnson about a mile below Tony Bend. He was lying by a large rock near the river and indications were that he had been crawling for some distance before he played out.  Some searchers speculated that the boat had overturned and he was able to get to shore but he had suffered some injury when the boat overturned.  Another theory was that he had suffered a stroke that prevented him from being able to make it home.  Coroner, Tank Rea, ruled that Uncle Will died from exposure. 

Aunt Mindy continued to live in the Bundy House for approximately 3 months.  She became ill and was hospitalized and later died on June 7, 1965.  The doctor said that she did not respond to any medicine that he gave her.  The doctor stated that she died of a broken heart.  She didn't want to live without Uncle Will.  

Oh to have a love like that.