Maxine A Peterson
(October 10, 1922 – June 09, 2009)
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday in Howe and Yockey Funeral Home, Shelbyville with Rev. Lee Lovett officiating. Visitation one hour before services. A luncheon will be held in the Fellowship Hall of the First Presbyterian Church, following the services. Burial will be a later date in Dodge Grove Cemetery, Mattoon. Memorials may be given to the First United Methodist Church, Shelbyville or the Alzheimer’s Association.
Maxine was born on October 10, 1922 in North Platte, Nebraska, the daughter of Frederick and Elsie Alaska Turley Haynie. She was a graduate of the College of Great Falls, Montana. She taught grades 1-8 in a rural one room school in Montana, where she not only taught but also but had to carry in the coal, take out the ashes and sweep the floors. Maxine then taught grades 1-3 in Shelbyville, Illinois for more than 30 years. She taught Sunday school at Robinson Creek United Methodist Church and was Superintendent of Sunday school there for many years. She was president of the Shelbyville Education Association and upon retirement she tutored students at the Shelbyville Public Library for 5 years. She started delivering Peace Meals in 1981 and her husband, Carl, still continues to deliver the meals. She hand painted and fired beautiful china with her friend, Esther Sorrel. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Shelbyville Education Association and was a life member of the National Education Association. Maxine was a cat lover for more that 80 years. She married Carl E. Peterson on March 19, 1944.
Surviving are her husband, Carl; son, Russell F. Peterson and wife Pat of Shelbyville; daughter, Jane Ellen Pyfer and husband Craig of Preston, Idaho; sister, Lorraine Ferrier of Grass Valley, California; grandchildren, Sean Peterson and wife Becky of Maplewood, MN, Kip Peterson of Shelbyville, Holly Rhodes and husband Jacob of Decatur and Paul Engkapattarangkul of Shelbyville; and two great grandchildren, Kaylee and Kara Peterson.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and one sister, Lavon Mason.