Olivene Howell Hicks, 89, passed into Gods hands on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. She was born in Anson County, North Carolina as the eldest child of the late Siler Dewey and Minnie Brown Howell. She graduated from Wingate College where she met her husband, the late Garlin Anderson Hicks. They were married from August 2, 1959, until his passing in 2010.

After she graduated from Wingate College, she worked as a bookkeeper for Peerless in Charlotte, North Carolina. After raising her young children, she went back to work for Chesterfield County School District, then moved to Columbia and worked for the late Dr. Bruce Kinnie. Her final career was at Columbia Periodontal Associates where she worked from 1988 to her retirement in 2018.

Her Christian faith was the foundation of her life. Olivene was an active member and taught Sunday School at White Plains Baptist Church in Jefferson, South Carolina, then at St. Andrews Baptist Church in Columbia for most of her life. She also enjoyed being a member of the Joy Singers Group at St. Andrews Baptist.

She is survived by her daughter, Stephanie Hicks Gruber (Terry) of Chapin; her granddaughters Candace Cumalander (Joshua) of Newberry and Rachel Gruber of Greenwood; a great-grandson Wesley Cumalander of Newberry; her brother Larry Howell (Linda) of Tacoma, Washington; along with many nieces and nephews spread from coast to coast. Olivene is predeceased by her son Marcus Garlin Hicks and her twin sisters Nora Cauline Howell and Alexa Pauline Jordan.

Visitation will be Sunday, November 19, 2023, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm at Whitaker Funeral Home in Chapin. Homegoing funeral service will be Monday, November 20, 2023, 12:00 pm at St. Andrews Baptist Church with burial following at White Plains Baptist Church in Jefferson, South Carolina at 2:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Andrews Baptist Church.

Whitaker Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Olivene Hicks