Maxine Williams, 84, a native of North Powder, died Jan. 18, 2005, at Sun City, Calif. She had been disabled by arthritis the last two years of her life and had lived in a residential care center, where she died.
Maxine was born at Union to Walter and Leila McGrath and grew up at North Powder. Her father, a coal dealer, served as mayor there and led a dance band.
She grew up in a family of musicians and card players, and although not a musician herself, she did love good music and was a skillful card player all her life.
After graduating from high school, Maxine married Russell Williams, a Muddy Creek native, in 1939. In 1951 his job with Basche-Sage Hardware in Baker City took them to Payette, Idaho, where they raised two daughters.
Maxine began her working life at Payette with a job in the high school lunchroom. She then worked for the City of Payette before going on to become deputy county treasurer for Payette County in 1961. She retired with her husband to Sun City in 1978. He died on Dec. 13, 2004.
Maxine was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church at Payette and later of St. Vincent Ferrer Church at Sun City, where she organized the bridge marathon for several years. In addition to bridge, she loved knitting, reading, entertaining and travel.
In 1989 she and Russell celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on an Alaskan cruise, accompanied by their daughters and their families and by Russell’s brother, Ed, and his wife, Ella. In 1991 Maxine fulfilled a longtime dream by touring England with her daughters.
Survivors include her daughter, Diane Wilson and her husband, Gary Wilson, of Washington D.C.; her daughter, Maryann Green of Tacoma, Wash.; a sister, Vivian Davis of Spokane, Wash.; two sisters-in-law, Hazel Toney and Ella Williams, both of Baker City; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, January 21, 2005
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor