Maxine Clark

Maxine Angeline Clark, 91, of Buhl, passed away on Thursday, February 26, 2015 at Applegate Assisted Living.

Maxine Clark, 91, was born in Los Angeles, California, March 29, 1923 to Frank (Tex) Mitchell and Ethel Rose Brennen. Her childhood was very difficult as her father followed work wherever he could find it during the depression years. Maxine lived in many places, particularly California, Texas and Idaho. As a result she never finished any one schooling level at any grade school. Often when she returned home from school she would find the car packed and they would be moving to a new place. As a teenager, she settled in Filer, Idaho, with her mother and grandparents, graduating from Filer High School in 1940. Her ambition was to become a nurse but during her senior year, her best friend, Laurel (Topsy)Clark Coates, introduced Maxine to her brother, Ray Clark, a rancher from Three Creek, Idaho. They were smitten and married soon after on December 22, 1940 at the Filer Baptist Church. They moved to the Seven Triangle Ranch at Three Creek where they raised their four children.

In the fall of 1960, Maxine moved with her children to Twin Falls, Idaho, so that they could finish school, returning to the ranch on weekends, summers and school holidays. After fourteen years, the youngest graduated in May of 1974 and she finally got to return to the ranch. This sacrifice has always been very much appreciated by their children.

Maxine was a 50 year member of the Order of Eastern Star of the Hollister Chapter #47, which later merged with the Twin Falls Chapter #29. She was also an honorary lifetime member of the 71 Livestock Association. In August 1984, the ranch was sold and she moved to Sunset Butte, near Buhl, Idaho, where she remained for the rest of her life. In her retirement years, she and Ray traveled with various family members to Hawaii, Cancun, Mexico, South Africa and Alaska. She and Ray traveled to may areas across the western United States and with her daughters, took one week each summer to explore Idaho.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Ray; her parents and a brother, LeRoy "Mitch" Mitchell of Nashville, Tennessee.

She is survived by her four children, Sherry (George) Wells of Buhl, Judy (Don) Wittlake of Boise, Sandy (Rex) Shaw of Kimberly and Stan Clark and his partner, Robert Landers of Glendale, Arizona; eight grandchildren; sixteen great grandchildren; sister-in-law, Mary Mitchell of Nashville, Tennessee; sister-in-law, Susan Clark of Boise and a niece, Susan (Gary) Maynard of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

To Pam and her wonderful staff at Applegate Assisted Living in Buhl, we thank you for the wonderful care you gave our mother.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m, on Friday, March 6, 2015, at the Filer Baptist Church. A viewing will be between 5:00 and 7:00 pm, on Thursday, March 5, 2015 at Farmer Funeral Chapel of Buhl, Idaho.