Rosie M. Hicks

And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:7

Today our family celebrates the life of our beautiful mother, Rosie Maelee Reid-Hicks.  A Christian Woman, a loving mother, beautiful grandmother, precious great-grandmother, sweet sister, an adored aunt, a caring cousin, a dear friend, and a mother of the church who truly loved the Body of Christ.

Rosie Maelee Reid-Hicks knew that Christianity did not exempt one from death, but ensured triumph over death and on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, surrounded by her loving daughters and devoted grandchildren, our beloved Mother made her transition to glory at her home in Benton Charter Township, Michigan.   

The beautiful life of Rosie MaeLee Hicks, nee Coffey began ninety-three years ago on May 17, 1932, in Lexington, Kentucky.  She was the eldest of six children born to the to the Christian lineage of the late David Coffey Sr. and Ella Mae Frances Norman-Coffey.    

She was preceded in death by her parents, her stepmother, Irene Smith-Coffey; her four loving daughters, Kitty Sue Jackson and her husband Welton Jackson, Jamesanna Farmer, Deborah Jean Reid, and Patricia Taylor; her husbands, James Lee Reid Jr. and James “Jimmy” Hicks; her beloved sister, Hermine Bradley-Watts, three brothers, David Coffey Jr., Raymond Coffey, and Frank Smith; son-in-law, Greg Glass, three beautiful granddaughters, Donquella Singh, Altovese Reid and JaSheika Glass; four great-grandchildren, Tiara Whitfield, Jamahri Fuller, Khamisi Atu Reid Jr. and Golden Farmer; and six dear friends whom she loved as sisters, Joann Seahorn-Wallace, Estelle Rhodes, Louise Elliott, Evelyn Isom, Willie B. Robinson, Lucille Sanders, Bessie Haynes, Barbara Davis and Maxine Kelly

At an early age, Rosie dedicated her life to Christ at Macedonia Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, and continued her faith walk as evidenced by her uniting in fellowship with the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Bishop W.E. Ellis when she and her husband relocated to Benton Harbor.  She later united in Christian fellowship with the Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church under the pastoral guidance of the late Rev. C.L. Woodson, and her final church home was her beloved, St Paul Missionary Baptist under the pastoral leadership of the late Rev. Elbert Brown where she served faithfully until her health began to fail.    

Rosie was formally educated in the Lexington Public Schools in Lexington, Kentucky, and was a proud alumnus of Dunbar High School. After moving to Benton Harbor with her first husband, Jimmy, and daughter Kitty Sue, she obtained her General Education Diploma from Lake Michigan College and later attended Andrews University and was a proud graduate of the Moody Bible College and Institute in South Bend.

She never refused to help anyone in need and never missed an opportunity to tell others about how good God had been to her.  Mother Hicks was employed at Robbins Brothers Pharmacy and the  American Legion Dorrie Miller Post 410.  She later was employed as a childcare worker in her niece, Christina’s daycare center and eventually opened her own daycare and that infamous, Hull’s Terra “candy store” where she was affectionately called, “The Candy Store Lady.”

Mother Hicks loved her family, and they loved her even more.  She was the “Queen” and always held in the highest regard by her children and grandchildren.  They loved and adored her, and it showed as she was the voice of reason and the calm in the midst of every storm they endured, no matter what her children and family were going through.  Her favorite thing to do was to take care of her family, their children, and all children around her.  Grandma Rosie was patient and so kind.  She had a special relationship with each and every one of them.  She made them all feel so special and loved.  She also enjoyed fishing and dancing with her second husband, Jimmy, and the numerous family gatherings she had created. 

“Rosie” as she was affectionately called was a kind-hearted, genuine, patient, giving, sweet, and humble woman who was loved dearly by her six daughters, her grand and great-grandchildren, all her nieces and nephews adored her dearly and she had a special place in the hearts of both her brothers and her beautiful sisters.  Her life will forever be celebrated in our hearts and memories.  Rest on beautiful “Queen” we will always and forever love and miss you.

Our dear mother will be fondly remembered in the hearts of her four devoted daughters, Karen Reid, Crystal Reid, and Kim Brown-West all of Benton Harbor, Michigan, and her baby girl, Rita Glass of Kalamazoo, MI; three special daughters, Isabelle Ash, Nina Henderson and Gladys Johnson; one special son, Khristopher Reid of Benton Harbor; two sisters, Mary Katherine Williams and Mayor Emma Jean Hull both of Benton Harbor; special family and friends, Perona Mitchell, Valerie Le’Sure, Kim Fultz, and Dorothy Yellowhorse; (25) loving grandchildren, (78) great-grandchildren, (29) great-great grandchildren and (2) great-great-great grandsons; her beloved St. Paul Baptist Church family, and a host of cousins, nephews, nieces, extended family and friends.

 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39

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