Mabini Beavers

Mabini A. Beavers, the daughter of Santos and Esperanza D Antonio, was born on September 26, 1940, in Barrio Apulid, Paniqui, Tarlac, Philippines. At the age of 84, she gave her last breath on earth on January 10, 2025, in Tulsa, Oklahoma before taking her next breath in heaven and seeing her Savior face to face. Mabini grew up without a father, who was captured as a POW during World War II and the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. She learned resilience and a strong work ethic from her mother and became a source of unwavering strength, as she was a big help to her mother and became a mother-figure to her younger brothers. She graduated from high school in 1958 at Nicanor Reyes Memorial Institute in Paniqui, Tarlac. In 1960, Mabini attended Far Eastern University in Manila for a secretarial degree. She began working at the Base Exchange on Clark Air Base, where her beauty and smile caught the eye of Ernie Beavers, an airman who had just arrived on base January 1, 1964. He won her over, after taking many bus trips to her home, 45 minutes from the base, and they were married October 18, 1964. She was a dutiful wife, and God gave them almost 59 years of marriage before he passed away October 10, 2023. Together they had three children: Judy, Jeffrey, and Joy. Saved at the age of 31, Mabini was led to the Lord by Rosalie Anger, her pastor’s wife, at Koolau Baptist Church in Kaneohe, Hawaii, on December 31, 1971. As a new Christian, her burden was for her family to know her Jesus, and she eventually led her mom and family to Christ. One brother has been a missionary to Cambodia for 25 years, and five of her nephews are also pastors or missionaries in the Philippines and Cambodia. Everywhere Mabini went was her mission field. She never stopped being thankful for the gift of salvation and shared the Gospel and invited people to church, whether she met you at work, school, east Tulsa 10 Gym, a grocery store, hospital, anywhere. No one can deny she cared for your soul. Mabini had a deep devotion for the Lord and praised Him all the day long. Each morning began with reading her Holy Bible and kneeling in prayer with her prayer journal. Early in Mabini’s Christian life, her love for the Lord developed into singing for Him. She was always singing or humming hymns around the home and began singing in the choir and solos in her low alto voice. Many classics she sang included: It Took A Miracle, Remind Me Dear Lord, The Longer I Serve Him, Just A Closer Walk With Thee, Now I Belong To Jesus, Fill My Cup Lord, Why Do I Sing About Jesus?, No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus, Face To Face, Do You Know My Jesus?, Would You Be Willing To Go?, and In The Garden. She loved her family and treasured time with them the most. Mabini’s desire was to know that her children and grandchildren walk in truth. Her children were blessed to have a mom who prayed faithfully for them every day. She was a prayer warrior and encouraged them with Scripture always, but especially when their faith was tested. Her siblings, immediate family, and even her nephews and nieces looked to her as a pillar of faith for the family and their marriage as the example to follow. She cared for others and extended warmth and kindness to them. Mabini had a heart full of compassion and never looked down on anyone. She called you by name. Mabini lived out the meaning of her name, modest, her whole life. Her beauty from within radiated her beauty on the outside. As a young woman, she was named beauty queen of her barrio. Mabini also learned from her mentor to make her appearance beautiful for her husband, first of all. She was known to have her hair and make-up done before most people got out of bed in the morning. Even her youngest grandson once explained, “Lola can’t come in my fort because she will mess up her hair!” Her beauty extended to the care of her home, keeping it clean “The Antonio Way.” Rose bushes, hibiscus and thriving plants welcomed you inside. Mabini had the heart of a teacher and was given the opportunity to teach kindergarten at Ardmore Christian Academy in Ardmore, Oklahoma in 1984. She was a beloved teacher who taught thousands of children to read and write and won many of them to the Lord. She retired from teaching with her last year at Southwest Christian Academy in Moore, Oklahoma in 2013, after a 29-year career to move to Tulsa, Oklahoma to be closer to family. The hallmark of the Filipino culture, Mabini was known for her hospitality. She loved cooking and invited many people into their home, from the countless students they adopted from Heartland Baptist Bible College and Southwest Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, to the potlucks at Senior Haven at Eastland Baptist Church in Tulsa, where she enjoyed making Beavers biscuits and gravy, in honor of her late husband. She also made it a ministry to make sweet treats for the 2nd grade boys’ Sunday school class every week for five years, when her son-in-law and daughter taught the class. If you were ever invited to the Beavers’ home for a feast, Filipino or otherwise, she insisted you go home with leftovers, too! She refused to let the pain in her feet and legs from neuropathy stop her from baking Christmas treats for her neighbors, just two weeks before her passing. She always quoted and believed the Scripture in Acts 20:35b, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” When God gave her more, she gave out of that abundance to others. Even as a widow, she desired to continue giving to missions, especially to her missionary brother and family in the Philippines. She trusted God to provide, and He did! If you knew Mabini later in life, you would often see her wearing Oklahoma City Thunder and Kansas City Chiefs apparel. Although she enjoyed watching her children compete in sports, she became an avid sports fan as an empty nester and even more after retirement, watching college basketball and football, the NBA, and NFL. She knew the names of many players and coaches and started to follow the Kansas City Royals when one of her granddaughters was recently hired to work for them as a graphic designer. Two of the most difficult times of her life took place in the past fifteen months: losing her husband of almost 59 years to a stroke in October 2023 and then suffering a stroke herself in June 2024. Her light dimmed when her honey was called home to heaven, but she exhibited courage and faith to endure, and her recovery strengthened her family even more. Mabini is survived by her children: daughter, Judy Maxon and husband Scott of Lenexa, Kansas, son Jeff Beavers and wife Pamela of Lenexa, Kansas, daughter Joy Brewer and husband Greg of Tulsa, grandchildren: Brad Bishop, Jacob Beavers and wife Kelsea, Eric Maxon and wife Allison, Alyssa (Beavers) Rohman and husband Cole, Lydia (Beavers) Martinez and husband Ely, Audrey (Maxon) Purcell and husband Ethan and Grant Brewer; great-grandson: Baker Maxon; sister Ligaya Allison, and brothers Isagani Antonio and Joe Dela Cruz. She was preceded in death by her parents, Santos and Esperanza Antonio, her husband, Ernest Beavers, and brother, Ernesto Antonio. “Her children arise up and call her blessed. Let her own works praise her in the gates.” Proverbs 31:28a; 31:31b. In memory of Mabini Beavers: Family is requesting that any donations be sent to: Eastland Baptist Church 1835 S 129th E. Ave Tulsa, OK 74129. All monetary donations will be given to Mabini's brother, Isagani Antonio, missionary to Cambodia.

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Mabini Beavers

September 26, 1940 - January 11, 2025