Luada Lee Maycock, 107, of Harvest, passed away May 11, 2025.

In the beginning...

Immense joy was proclaimed in Mooreland, Indiana on August 18, 1917! Amid all the corn fields and farmland, a beautiful baby girl was born to Hugard and Cora Benson, who befittingly named her Luada, which means a "song of praise!".

In the years following, Luada assisted her parents with her five younger siblings and the many chores that came with living in Mooreland. However, one day, there was a knock on the door that would change the lives of the Benson's and the generations that followed. A colporteur introduced a "new" message concerning the Biblical Sabbath and other truths to Hugard and Cora, who embraced this message and instilled it in their children. As a young girl, Luada was baptized into the New Castle Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church.

Luada, and her siblings, attended the local public school, and they enriched the school by adding color and style amongst the students. Girls would often ask Luada how they could have curls like her! Luada graduated from Mooreland High School in 1935 and sought employment to exercise her independence. She left Mooreland for Chicago, Illinois, where she lived with her mother's sister.

In choosing marriage and family...

In seeking an SDA church family, Luada decided to attend Shiloh SDA Church. As the new, young, and beautiful young lady at the church, she caught the attention of the young men. However, there was a tall, dark, and handsome young man from Atlanta, GA, who decided not just to look, but to boldly inform Luada that she would be his wife one day! She responded in the same bold manner by sticking out her tongue at him!

Well, the tall, dark, and handsome Raulins Maycock succeeded in his plan, and the two were married on October 10, 1936. It is unclear whether Raulins prophesied about the number of children they would have, but from their union, six children were born.

The Christian education of her children was especially important to Luada. So, to defray the cost of tuition, she put on her entrepreneur's hat and went to work! She made and sold fresh wheat bread, drove the church school bus, cleaned offices at night, and prepared income taxes. God blessed her efforts, and all her children were taught of the Lord!

The family moved from Chicago to Indianapolis and ended up in the Detroit area. As the children became adults and the number in the household dwindled, Raulins and Luada moved and settled in Ionia, Michigan,  where they lived happily for about 15 years. Then after a short illness and 59 years of marriage, on April 6, 1995, Luada lost her husband. She remained in Ionia for 11 more years, until her children decided it was time for her to move closer to one of them. So in 2006, she moved from Ionia to Huntsville, AL to be closer to her family. Shortly after reaching the age of 90, she received her first speeding ticket (which the judge graciously dismissed). In her mid-90's, after a few car accidents involving mailboxes and utility poles that "just happened" to get in the way of her driving, she begrudgingly relinquished her driver's license and moved in with her daughter, Adrienne, who faithfully took cared of her until her death.

Lauda volunteered her time, love, and support in the community service department, Vacation Bible School, Sabbath School, and as a deaconess and Bible worker.

At the end...

Luada's legacy is found in Proverbs 31: Her worth is far above rubies, she willingly worked with her hands, provided food for her household, reached out her hand to the needy, opened her mouth with wisdom and her tongue was the law of kindness, and she did not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rose up and called her blessed. This woman, Luada, who feared the Lord, shall be praised!

Their "household" included her daughter, Phyllis Campbell Butler; son, Thomas (June) Maycock; daughter, Marilyn Maycock Johnson (deceased); daughter, Adrienne Andrews Grant; son, Duane Maycock; son, Pastor Antoine (Connie) Maycock; 19 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren; along with a host of nieces, nephews, loved ones and church family.

We thank Luada Benson Maycock for her love, faithfulness to God, family, and for her Christian example. Her dying wish and excitement was to sleep and then wake up to see the face of Jesus. Those of use who remain, look forward to seeing Luada at the seconf coming of Jesus and in the earth made new.