KLEMME BOOK

Maxine Upmeyer

1922 - 2023


Maxine Upmeyer Maxine I. Upmeyer, 100, of Garner, passed away Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at Heritage Care Center in Mason City. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 pm, Saturday, May 20, 2023, at Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. 4th St., Garner with Rev. Brian Lund officiating. Burial will be at Concord Township Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the funeral chapel. Maxine Isabelle Upmeyer, the daughter of Clinton and Ada (Peterson) Stokesbary, was born December 23, 1922, at Klemme. She was baptized and confirmed and began teaching Sunday School at age 12 at the Methodist Church in Klemme. Maxine attended country school and graduated from Garner High School. She received her normal teaching certificate at Iowa State Teachers College and taught in the rural schools of Hancock County for five years. On June 2, 1946, she was married to Merlyn Upmeyer at the Methodist Church in Garner. Together they farmed southwest of Garner where they raised their family. In 2005, they moved into Garner. In 2009 she became a resident of Prairie View Apartments. Maxine had a twinkle in her eyes and a great sense of humor, a servant’s heart and was always helping those in need from serving on the suicide hotline to giving shelter to abused women and others down on their luck. She will always be remembered by her family for her unwavering Christian faith, her huge garden and the abundance of produce she put up and also shared, her writings and poetry, the dolls, stuffed animals, her faith and time she made for her grandchildren. She was a member of Zion Evangelical and Reformed Church where she taught Sunday school. Maxine is survived by children, Rebecca (Darrell) Lucht of Hulbert, OK, Linda (Bob) Wages of Bixby, OK and Jill (Marc) Dean of Mason City; daughter-in-law, Susie Upmeyer of Alamogordo, NM; four grandchildren, Heather (Javier) Lopez, Dylan (Amanda) Lucht, Jade (Brian) Winfrey and Daniella Williams; 15 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; a sister, Ruth Law of Clear Lake; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Merlyn in 2007; son, Daniel in 2013; grandson, David Wages in 2018; and siblings, Lyle Stokesbary, Mildred Wilson, Glen Stokesbary, Marvin Stokesbary, Bonnie Osnes, Bert Stokesbary and Phyllis Devens. The family wishes to thank the staff at Homestead Assisted Living and Heritage Care Center for their kindness and compassionate care.