Love in action speaks louder than words - Pass it on! - Queen Mother" Maxine Sykes McFarlane

"Queen Mother" Maxine Sykes McFarlane , 97, joined the Ancestors on Thursday, June 22, 2023, while in hospice care at Allina Mercy Hospital in Fridley, MN. She was preceded by her husband, Alvin A. McFarlane Sr., and two daughters, Kathleen McFarlane-Davis and Julitta McFarlane-Shanklin. She is also preceded by 4 sisters and 2 brothers, and her parents and grandparents. Queen Mother McFarlane was born on March 23, 1926 to Allen Sykes, and Martha Harrison Sykes in Sunflower, Mississippi. She married Cuban-Jamaican immigrant Alvin McFarlane in Kansas City, Missouri, at the end of WWII.

Mother of 12 biological children, but mother-figure to hundreds more, Queen Mother McFarlane delivered a distinguished career of service based in faith traditions that guided leadership in community and civic engagement, entrepreneurship, and social action.

She was an Evangelist Missionary in the Church of God in Christ, working under jurisdictional leaders including Bishop V.M. Barker, pastor of Barker Temple COGIC, and his successors, Bishop E. Harris Moore, and Bishop John Mark Johnson, pastor of Barker Memorial Cathedral of Praise, COGIC.

Early in her career, she and her husband owned and operated a neighborhood grocery store in the 28th & Brooklyn neighborhood in Kansas City. The family moved to Worthington, MN in 1965 due to Al McFarlane's job relocation at Armour's Meat Packing Company.

In Worthington, Queen Mother McFarlane became active in Minnesota's Human Rights Commission and the Minnesota Association for Mental Health beginning a phase of civic engagement that characterized her life work as a human rights activist and advocate. In 1969 she founded the Action Committee for Social Change (ACSC). When job opportunities brought the family back to Kansas City in 1975, ACSC partnered with Harvesters to deliver food supplies and household necessities to families and churches throughout the Kansas City Metropolitan area. The organization created and operated a food pantry at Barker Temple, 1709 Highland in Kansas City.

ACSC echoed the ground-breaking community-building work of her nephew, Bernard Powell, and his work in a pioneering agency and collaborative, Social Action Committee of 20 (SAC-20). SAC-20 launched business and workforce development programs as well as neighborhood safety and beautification initiatives.

Powell was assassinated in 1979.

Queen Mother McFarlane and ACSC pivoted to undertake the mission of preserving the public memory of Bernard Powell and launched a multi-year campaign to build a life-size statue of the slain leader, centered in a fountain, symbolizing the eternal, regenerative work Powell and our community at large have undertaken to advance the cause of freedom and promise of democracy in this country and the world.

Queen Mother McFarlane's signature song of praise was the instructional hymn, "Pass It On". Her performance of the song in churches, community events and gatherings, and even on Reggae and Gospel music stages, reminded audiences of the obligation to be community and to build community by sharing "the experience" of community by passing it on, one person at a time…. being connected.

The song and its performance elevated another principle of Bernard Powell's SAC 20 movement: "Ghetto or Gold Mine - The Choice Is Yours!"

As early Alzheimer's and dementia began to set in in her late 70's, Queen Mother McFarlane relied heavily on her eldest child and partner in their life work, Kathleen McFarlane-Davis, Executive Director of ACSC. When Kathleen McFarlane-Davis transitioned to Ancestorhood in October, 2016, the McFarlane family facilitated Queen Mother McFarlane's relocation to Hollywood, FL, where she was cared for by daughters, Patricia McFarlane and Roslyn Robinson, and her youngest son and daughter-in-law, Lloyd and Wendy Garcia McFarlane. The daughters and Queen Mother McFarlane relocated back to Minnesota two years ago, living in the Mounds View area.

Queen Mother McFarlane is survived by 10 of her 12 children: Al (Bobbie), Ray (Clara Mae), Wayne, Patricia, Gregory, Micah (Elizabeth), Roland, Julian (Megan), Roslyn Robinson (Vernon, Jr.), and Lloyd (Wendy) McFarlane.

Please continue to scroll down to bottom of webpage for service date, time and location in Kansas City.

A program will follow at the Bernard Powell Memorial Fountain, celebrating her life and work and the ceremonial naming of 28th Street as Queen Mother Maxine McFarlane Dr.

Additional Information:
"Queen Mother" Maxine Sykes McFarlane
Pass It On - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX9UCY6110Y
Reflections - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXcTeZUAJY8
https://flatlandkc.org/news-issues/raytown-martin-luther-king-jr-celebration/

A Memorial Service for the Minnesota family and friends was held on Friday, July 7th, at Estes Funeral Chapel, 2201 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis, (www.estesfuneralchapel.com - 612-521-6744) with a music and memories repast following.

Thoughtful care and service provided by E. S. Eley & Sons Funeral Chapel, Inc .