Maxine Bathke
September 1, 1918 — December 1, 2009
BATHKE, MAXINE E.
Maxine Edith Bathke, age 91, former long time resident of Seymour and currently resided at Touchmark Retirement Community in Appleton, went home to be with her Lord and Savior with her family by her side on Tuesday, December 1, 2009. She was born September 1, 1918 in Ladysmith, Wisconsin to Pierce and Maude (Bartlett) Brown.
She graduated from Ladysmith High School in 1937 and attended Rusk County Normal School. On August 4, 1940, she married her high school sweetheart Ervin Bathke, at the Church of Christ in Ladysmith.
Maxine and Erv moved from Ladysmith to Rice Lake to Wausau and finally to Seymour, Wisconsin in 1961. She became active in St. Paul's Methodist Church. Maxine served in the Seymour United Methodist Church as the Woman Lay Leader; President of the Methodist Women's Group for many years and played in the bell choir. In 1968 she initiated the Ecumenical Advent Tea in Seymour. She started "Good Hope Nursery" and ecumenical religion classes in Seymour for children with disabilities. Those children were near and dear to her heart.
Maxine enjoyed camping, traveling, oil painting, ceramics, quilting, but most of all she loved being with her family.
She is survived by her 7 children: David (Annette) Bathke, Franklin; Jean (Ken) Young, Milwaukee; Julee (Bob) Mansfield, Neenah; Jan (Myke) Main, Duluth, MN; Tim (Sue) Bathke, South Bend, IN; Pamela (Steve) Heiden, Appleton; Jodi (Greg) Wait, Germantown; 17 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; 2 sisters: Thelma Wetterling, Milwaukee and Virginia Hauser, Tony, WI; life long friends Charlene Lovely and Lorraine Calkins.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 60 years, Ervin; son Stephen; grandson Zachary Heiden; one sister and two brothers.
Friends may call at United Methodist Church, Seymour on Saturday, December 5, 2009 from 9 AM until funeral services at 1 PM with Pastor Rebecca Henry officiating. Burial in the Seymour City Cemetery. Muehl-Boettcher Funeral Home, Seymour is assisting the family. Online condolences may be expressed at www.muehlboettcher.com .
May God add his blessing to our dear mother.