Maxine Schwemmer
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Graveside services for Maxine Schwemmer, 87, of Lawrence, Kansas will be held at 12:30 p.m. on December 11, 2015 at Fort Scott National Cemetery in Fort Scott, Kansas. She died December 4, 2015 at her home.
Maxine was born February 4, 1928 in Hiattville, Kansas, the daughter of Andrew and Cleta (Barker) Hobbs. She spent her childhood in the area around Fort Scott and graduated from the one room school house in Hiattville, Ks at the age of 16. She then went to Pittsburgh State Teachers College where she graduated early with honors and assisted in mathematics instruction at the college while majoring in math. Maxine started her career as an elementary teacher, and taught for over 35 years in the Minneapolis, Beloit, and Salina Kansas school districts. She moved to Lawrence, Ks. to be closer to family.
While attending Pittsburgh College she met her future husband, Reinhart Schwemmer. They married on November 27, 1947. He preceded her in death on May 17, 1985. Maxine and Reinhart had three children who survive her, Marty (Lynda) Schwemmer of Naples, Florida; Nancy (Howard) Cripe of Olathe, Kansas; and Susan (John) Lomas of Lawrence. She is also survived by 6 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
Reinhart and Maxine built their last home together with their own hands and very little outside help. At that home on a hill outside of Salina, Maxine enjoyed quilting, gardening, bird watching, playing bridge with friends, and an uninterrupted view of the Kansas sunset. Thanksgiving at the country home was a favorite time for the extended family. Maxine was an accomplished quilter and belonged to the Salina Silver Needles Club, and the Kaw Valley Quilters club of Lawrence.
Maxine was respectful to all and a defender of the underdogs in life and sports. She also enjoyed Tai Chi, yoga, painting, and was a Methodist Sunday school teacher in Salina. During her time in Lawrence she enjoyed going out to various venues to hear her son-in-law John Lomas play guitar and she would dance as long as she was able.
Memorial contributions may be made in her name to the Visiting Nurses Association or to Habitat for Humanity and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary.
What a loss. She was my third grade and sixth grade teacher at Heusner Elementary. What a wonderful lady. My heartfelt sympathy to the family of Maxine.
I remember Mrs. Schwemmer had one of her 6th grade classes make a beautiful mural from beans and seeds in the 5th/6th grade hall at Heusner elementary school. She was also my math teacher in 6th grade when they experimented with course rotation. My condolences to her family.
This is Maxine’s daughter Susan. I love seeing the former students’ comments! If you are from Beloit, you could have been taught by mom in grade school, and dad in high school.
Cheryl and I loved your mom so much – we both had the privilege of working with her at Heusner elementary. I was a young inexperienced educational green-horn, and Maxine mentored me into being a teacher who loved his career as a teacher, administrator, and now Chair of the Education Department at Bethany College. I still share her wisdom and expertise – especially when it comes to teaching math methods!! Cheryl later worked with her as a special education teacher at Heusner. I can’t begin to imagine the lives she has impacted. Children, fellow teachers, parents, and still doing so as her talents are shared with teachers in training. God bless her. She has blessed us.
I will always remeber Aunt Maxine as a lady with such grace. As a teacher, I admired her years of dedication to the field of education. I can still remember Uncle Rhiney and Aunt Maxine visiting Grandpa and Grandma in Lucas and always fondly sharing their progress on the house. She was a great lady.
I became Heusner librarian in 1985. Maxine was full of life and a joy to teach with. I remember how she would line up the students and then say to them, “Poise and confidence.” (That might not be the exact words that she used but it was something like that.) The children would stand tall and be ready to go into the hall back to class. My heartfelt condolences to your family.