Wilma Maxine Schumaker Austin was born Feb. 17, 1918, in Newton County, MO and entered into rest on August 18, 2012, at Seneca, MO at the age of 94. Maxine was born near the Elm Springs community to John A. and Daisy Smith Schumaker, and lived there until she was eight years old. The Schumaker family moved to their farm on Shoal Creek, north of Neosho, where they operated a dairy farm. She graduated from Hill Dale grade school and later graduated from Neosho High School. After that, she attended Draughn Business College in Springfield, MO. Maxine was baptized at the age of 13, by Rue Porter together with her brother, Neil, and several others from the 114 S. Jefferson St. Church of Christ in Hickory Creek on a cold January day. She married James P. Austin on June 13, 1938, at her family home and they lived on the Austin Farm, called Dripping Springs, located just south of Neosho, on Highway 71. Seven years later, they moved to the east 80 acres of the farm, where they built a new house. Maxine has lived there ever since. Maxine and Jim had three daughters, Jan Marie, Marilyn Jeanne and Mary Lucille. Their daughters attended Jaybird Grade School, Neosho High School and all graduated from College. Jan and Marilyn have Graduate School degrees and Mary Blattner is an M.D. Maxine was a stay at home mother until the children were in high school, after which she was employed at various offices until she and James became Realtors and later opened Austin Real Estate. James died July 28, 1983, in Springfield, MO at St. John's Hospital with cardiac arrest. He had served as deacon of the Church of Christ from 1945 until his death in 1983. In 1991, Maxine closed the Real Estate Business and moved to Greely, CO, to help her daughter, Mary L. Blattner with her small children, Angela and Sarah. Mary and her husband, Robert, are medical doctors and they needed Grandma to help, which she did until 1998, when she returned to her home in Neosho. Maxine was a faithful Christian and Bible student. She began teaching Sunday school at fifteen years of age and was an able Bible School teacher for over 25 years. She also worked on many church programs, as needed, the last being a member of the quilting women who make quilts for the needy. She is survived by her three daughters, Jan Marie Antonsson, Marilyn Jeanne Heins and Mary Lucille Blattner. She leaves four grandchildren, Craig Austin Heins, Kristin Noel Dalrymple, Angela Marie and Sarah Elizabeth Blattner and three great grandchildren, Harrison Matthew, Hannah Noel Maxine and Leah Ann Marie Dalrymple. She will be sorely missed. Services will be Wed., August 22, 2012, at 10:30 am at the Rocketdyne Road Church of Christ, Denny Kruse will officiate. The family will receive friends from 9:30 am until service time at the church. Interment will follow in the Neosho IOOF Cemetery. The family request in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to Rocketdyne Road Church of Christ, c/o Clark Funeral Home, PO Box 66, Neosho, MO 64850.

Courtesy of the Clark Funeral Home, Neosho, MO