Maxine Gray

Lois Maxine Johanna Anderson Gray was born March 21, 1916 on a farm south of Oskaloosa, to Richard Anderson and Bertha Vaner Anderson -- a Swedish immigrant. She was a lifelong resident of Mahaska County. Maxine graduated from Oskaloosa High School in 1933 and attended classes at William Penn College and summer school at The University of Iowa. She taught one year at Wymore Country School near Rose Hill and three years at Bloomfield School near Oskaloosa. Maxine married Joe W. Gray on August 24, 1938 at the home of her parents south of Oskaloosa. Their son Kenneth was born in 1941 and daughter Emily in 1944. Maxine and Joe lived all their married life on the Gray Century Farm east of Oskaloosa until they moved to a new home in town in 1992. As a young farm wife, Maxine served as a 4-H leader and was an active member of Women’s Farm Bureau. She was appointed to the State Extension Advisory Council, and in 1959 she received an Iowa Master Farm Homemaker Award, of which she was quite proud. For 24 years, she was the superintendent of the Children's Department in Central United Methodist Church. Maxine was a member of Iowa Questers antique group and Chapter IO of P.E.O., serving a term as president. In 1967, Maxine and Joe opened an antique shop in what was once a henhouse on their farm. Maxine’s Hen House was an active business until they moved to town in 1992. Maxine stayed in the antique business in Oskaloosa until 1998 and officially retired at age 82. In spite of being busy with farm work, family, community involvement and an active antique business, Maxine and Joe found time to travel. Hawaii was a destination every year for several years. Cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska and the Pribilof Islands were among their trips closer to home. They traveled to China, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, England, Spain and Morocco. Numerous antique shows and buying trips rounded out their travel experiences. Maxine’s family includes her daughter Emily Alsop of Denver, CO; three grandchildren -- Emily Patterson Gray of San Anselmo, CA, Matthew Gray (Stephanie) of Denver, CO, and Katie Gray (Neal) Mendel, also of Denver; and six great-grandchildren -- Kiara, Daniel and Isabelle Barry, Colette Mendel, and Emma and Torsten Gray. She is also survived by her nieces -- Phyllis Scholtz, Janice Lukas, Susan Riley, Judith Eastburn, Pat Simpson, Gerda Nordquist and Caroline Eastburn; and her nephews -- Robin Gray and Rolf Nordquist. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Joe on August 17, 1994, their son Kenneth in 1990, and her three sisters -- Verna Nordquist, Dr. Evlyn Anderson and Eleanor Eastburn. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m., Thursday, December 3, 2015 at Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The family will be present from 5-7 p.m. to greet visitors. Funeral services for Maxine will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, December 4, 2015, at the Central United Methodist Church with Pastor Bruce Wittern officiating. Burial will follow at Forest Cemetery. Please make memorial contributions to her church, Habitat for Humanity or the Nelson Pioneer Farm.

Maxine Gray

March 21, 1916 - November 27, 2015