Maxine Drown

Maxine (Miller) Drown, 81, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2024, at Chardonnay Assisted Living in Twin Falls, Idaho. 

Maxine was born on December 19,1942, in Logan, Utah to William Kay and Nelda Miller. As the eldest of three children, Maxine helped her mother take care of her siblings while her parents worked on the family farm. They moved several times between Utah, California, and Idaho before settling in Buhl, Idaho. Maxine graduated from Buhl High School in 1961 and attended Twin Falls Business College. She married Gaylord Rosswell “Ross” Drown in 1962, and they built a successful dairy farm while raising four children. During their 46-year career in the dairy business, she and Ross received an award through the Farmers Home Administration as Farm Family of the Year.

Maxine was an active member of her community. She operated a T.C.B.Y. yogurt shop in Twin Falls, ran a UPS store in Buhl for many years, and later enjoyed working at Macy’s and at Kurt’s Pharmacy. In recent years, she volunteered her time at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Hospital.

Maxine enjoyed traveling the world with her friends and family. She also found joy in cooking, baking, decorating cakes, gardening, and tending to her flower garden. Year after year, she enjoyed planting vegetables in her garden and greenhouse, which she generously shared with many (especially her tomato plants). She always had beautiful flowers planted year-round, and some of her favorite flowers were daisies, snapdragons, irises, and roses. Maxine was also a true animal lover; she was known to frequently rescue baby birds and care for kittens. She hand-fed the baby birds raw hamburger meat, and the kittens would receive milk from a small eyedropper. Her love for animals was passed on as she often surprised family members with puppies or kittens.

Maxine loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She filled her grandchildren’s childhoods with love and cherished memories. She held “tea parties” with tea made from mint leaves in her backyard, and she made snapdragons “talk,” which will always be remembered with smiles. She and Ross let her grandchildren name the animals they adopted, which led to several fun and unique names over the years: a cat named “Pickles” (or “Kate”, depending on which grandchild you asked), her dearly loved Shih Tzu named “Yoda”, and a Saint Bernard named “Tiny”. They cherished opportunities to give their grandchildren experiences with various farm animals, including adopting a baby goat, a miniature horse, and ducks for their grandchildren (and their parents) to help care for. Maxine shared her love of sweets with her grandchildren, and in their younger years, she even purchased a cotton candy machine to make homespun cotton candy. She was truly the best grandma. Maxine was ecstatic to become a great-grandmother in 2016 with the birth of Bella Joy Drown, and she later welcomed two more great-grandbabies in 2023 with the births of Eleanora Jane Reed and Amora Rose Drown.

Maxine will be remembered for her kind and generous heart and for the ways she helped those in need, both people and animals alike. When we see daisies, hear the song “You are My Sunshine”, or eat cotton candy, we will think of her. She will be missed more than words can express.

Maxine is survived by three of her children: Terry (Debbie) Drown, Karleen (Jack) Dey-Stephens, Tammy Boesel; her daughter-in-law, Ellen Drown; six grandchildren, Mitchell (Erin) Drown, Derek (Alyssa) Drown, Rachel (Lauren) Reed, Alex (Nicole) Dey, Matthew Boesel, and Austin Dey; three great-grandchildren, Bella Joy Drown, Eleanora Jane Reed, and Amora Rose Drown; and siblings, Linda Griggs and Mike Miller. 

Maxine was preceded in death by her father and mother; and her beloved son, Steven Drown.

Visitation will be held from 11:30 am until 1:45 pm, Saturday, June 1, 2024, at Farmer Funeral Chapel, 130 9th Ave N, Buhl. Graveside service will be held at 2:00 pm, Saturday, June 1, 2024, at Filer Cemetery, 2350 E 4000 N, Filer. 

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on Maxine's memorial webpage at www.farmerfuneralchapel.com.