Maxine A. Meyer

Maxine A. (Matousek) Meyer, 97, of St. Paul, died Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, at Brookefield Park in St. Paul. Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Christ Lutheran Church in St. Paul and visitation will be one hour before the service. The Rev. Thomas J. Clark will officiate. Carl Mogensen American Legion Auxiliary Unit 119 of St. Paul will provide Auxiliary honors. Burial will be in the Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul. Peters Funeral Home of St. Paul is assisting the family. Maxine Ann Matousek was born on July 24, 1919, on a farm 4 ½ miles south of St. Paul, the daughter of Tom and Josie (Vrbsky) Matousek. Maxine was the second of five daughters that grew up on the family farm, often telling stories of surviving during the Depression by raising turkeys. She walked every day to attend District 76, a country school, and graduated from St. Paul High School in 1937. After normal training, she went right into teaching, renewing her teaching certificate through the University of Nebraska and Kearney State College. She taught elementary grades for 22 years in country schools, including many years in schools in Cushing, Farwell and Dannebrog. She continued for several years as a substitute teacher in small towns in the area. Her teaching legacy lives on through all the students whose lives she touched and in the teaching careers of many of her children and grandchildren. Maxine married Fred C. Meyer on Dec. 24, 1942, in Grand Island, while he was a medic in the U.S. Army during World War II. She joined him in New Orleans, where she had jobs in the Pepsi Cola plant and the Pendleton shipyards. After the war, Fred and Maxine bought Tom and Josie's farm, where they lived their lives raising cattle, corn, watermelons and three daughters, Donita, Vikkie and Lori. After living her entire life on the family farm, Maxine moved to St. Paul in 1999, where she was happy to live near the Post Office, Legion Club and any store she wanted to walk to. She later lived at Matelyn Retirement Community for several years and since 2014 has lived at Brookefield Park in St. Paul. Throughout her life, Maxine enjoyed listening and dancing to Bohemian music, gardening and canning, baking bread and kolaches, and crocheting. She won many ribbons at the Howard County Fair and other events for her efforts. She was an active member of Christ Lutheran Church, serving as a Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teacher and was involved in the Ladies Aid. She was also active in Carl Mogensen American Legion Auxiliary Unit 119, serving many years as the chaplain, being part of the Auxiliary honor guard and faithfully maintaining the Legion Club bulletin board. Her caring spirit and kindness touched many lives and will be missed by many. Maxine is survived by three daughters and one son-in-law, Donita Anderson of Dannebrog, Vikkie and Al Naccarato of Spokane, WA and Lori Lincoln of Yankton, SD. She is survived by six grandchildren and spouses, Chad and Hyunsook Anderson of Incheon, South Korea, Spencer and Lisa Anderson of Chicago, IL, Josie and Jeff Ebert of Peachtree Corners, GA, Claire and Luke Gordon of Spokane, WA, Hannah and Peder Thompson of Lubbock, TX and Emily Lincoln of Yankton, SD; eight great-grandchildren, Maxwell and Theo Anderson; Adeleine and Oliver Ebert; Julian and Viola Gordon; and Norah and Simon Thompson. She is also survived by her sister, Erma Rasmussen of St. Paul; and many cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Fred C. Meyer on April 29, 1993; two sons-in-law, David Anderson and Jim Lincoln; and sisters, Agnes Rose, Betty Frafjord and Otilie Layher. Memorials are suggested to the family's choice.