Ava Maxine Moreland, 97, of Clyde passed away on Sunday, July 9, 2023, in an Abilene hospice facility. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 15, 2023, at Bailey Howard Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow in Dudley Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6:00 until 7:30 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Maxine was born in Denton Valley, Callahan County, May 22, 1926, to Elwin (L) and Dicy Scott; her grandparents, John and Rebecca Scott being one of the founding families of the Callahan County area.  She lived in and around Denton Valley and Clyde for all her long life except for a two-year stint when the family moved to Dallas, Texas.  She graduated Baird Highschool in May 1943.  On April 5, 1953, she married Berry Lee Moreland and the following year in May 1954 with the birth of her first child, she began her legacy work.   Mom was an incredible cook. Her pies were the coveted items at our family get togethers, with her nephews wanting to know where Aunt Maxine's pies were as soon as they arrived.  The pies would rapidly disappear as they would be hidden away from anyone who thought they might want a taste.  She never made one or two pies; it was always six or eight pies, in various combination of chocolate, cream, coconut.  Her pies were handmade from scratch from crust to meringue (there was always extra crust kept frozen for emergencies).  She would make pies for anyone who requested one, a pumpkin pie was an annual birthday gift until she could no longer make them. She was videoed as she made biscuits and cornbread with the hope quantities could be figured out on her 'handful' of this and 'spoonful' of that and 'until it looks right'.  We could never get it quite right but found recipes that were 'close' to her biscuits and cornbread and shared those!  She raised her four children and began her life's work as Mamaw when her nine grandchildren made their arrivals.  In order of appearance, Clay Moreland (wife, Carly) Lubbock, Tx; Jaimie Heslep (husband, Jeff) Round Rock, Tx; Stephanie Moreland, Abilene, Tx; Sydney Kuecker, (husband, Brandon), Bedford, Tx; Elizabeth Howard, (husband, Wade) Grandbury, Tx; Ava McKenzie Lefki (husband, Paulo), Richardson, Tx; Paige Hewitt (husband, Coen), Clyde, Tx;  Jacob Pierce (wife, Kelly) Princeton, Tx; Anna Pierce, Plano, Tx.  She made dozens of bibs, baby blankets, clothing items for these grandchildren; she was also an excellent seamstress along with being the cook she was.   She attended soccer, basketball, football games, dance recitals and graduations as long as she was able.   As those nine grandchildren grew up and married, they provided Mom with her absolute joys, thirteen great grandchildren.  They arrived in the following order: Macy McKee, Drake Moreland, Claire Moreland, Wyatt Moreland, Emily Moreland, Ethan Heslep, Peyton Kuecker, Cooper and Hudson Hewitt, Kollins Howard, Noelle Pierce, Logan Kuecker, and Noah Lefki.  She loved seeing and holding her babies more than anything.  Mamaw 's memory will live on in her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, her nieces, nephews and their children.  They were her heart's delight.

Prior to Maxine beginning her life-long work of Mom and Mamaw, she was employed by West Texas Utilities in Abilene, Texas.  She began a job at Abilene Christian University in 1977 through 1986.  When her second grandchild was born, she retired from that position and began the job, full-time, she would have the rest of her life – being Mamaw.

She is survived by her son, Steve Moreland and wife Jeanette, of Coeur D Alene, Idaho; daughter, Brenda Jean Potter, of Bedford, Texas; daughter, Carol Pierce and husband, Dewayne of Plano, Texas; son, David Moreland and wife, Kathleen, of Clyde Texas.

Maxine was preceded in death by her husband, Berry Lee Moreland; parents, Elwin and Dicy Scott, sister Hope Johnson, brothers Blanton, Winfred and Vernon (Pete) Scott; nephews, Hugh Hubert Scott, Scotty Scott, Terry Gleason; niece, Vernadene Harris and great-nephews, Vernon Harris and Buddy Harris.