Services will be Friday, February 13, 10:30 a.m. at Macy and Son in McMinnville for William J. (Billy) Maxwell, 73, who died of a heart attack Monday, Feb. 9. The Rev. Bernard Turner will preside at service, which will be followed by private interment at Evergreen Memorial Park.
Maxwell was born July 22, 1902 at Haines, Oregon the son of J.O. and Nancy Ann Maxwell. He grew up on a farm in the Muddy Creek area and graduated from Muddy Creek high school.
He entered Linfield College in McMinnville, and after his graduation in 1924, he started a long teaching-administrative career at McMinnville high school. Maxwell started teaching math and in 1939 became principal, a position he held 17 years until 1946.
In 1941 Maxwell served as a farm labor assistant for the federal government. He was one of the first to organize work platoons for farm harvest and at one time had 2,900 worker’s organized and working under this system.
He left the school district in 1946 to become office manager and personnel director for Alderman Farms outside Dayton, and held that position until 1964. Four years later, Maxwell was elected Yamhill County assessor, a position he held for four years.
Maxwell served continuously on the Linfield College board of trustees since 1929, and was an emeritus member at time of his death. He was an active fund raiser for all Linfield athletic events and for many years up to his death was president of the McMinnville Quarterback’s Club.
Member of the Kiwanis Club for 41 years, Maxwell also served in the area Scouting movement and was honored with the Silver Beaver award recognizing 25 years of service.
Survivors are son, Harold of Petersburg, VA.; daughter, Donna Marie Watkins of Port Orchard, Washington; brothers Glenn and Omer, both of Haines; sisters Myrtle Potter of Baker, Olga Ward of Haines, and Rose Bishop of Las Vegas, Nevada; and six grandchildren.
Source: The Record Courier, Baker City, Oregon, February, 1976
Contributed by: Belva Ticknor