Maxine Lewis

November 22, 1926 - May 28, 2017

Maxine Lewis of Beacon Iowa died Sunday, May 28, 2017, at the Serenity Hospice in Oregon, Illinois. She was born on November 22, 1926, in The Round Prairie Township of Jefferson County Iowa, the daughter of Alpha William Parris and Catherine Eliya Manning. After her marriage to Kenneth P. Lewis she moved to Beacon Iowa to raise a family, which eventually became a full house of 6. During her long life, she worked at Big Smith, The Oskaloosa Herald, Walmart and Carriker Ford while balancing her time as a wife & Mother. She loved working in her beautiful yard and the mayhem of raising a large family. She was most proud of the years she spent as the president of the Big Smith chapter of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union of America and was loved by many people in the Oskaloosa area. Later in life she moved to her daughter Tina’s home in Dixon Illinois, and spent the last year & a half at Liberty Court Assisted living. Many employees & friends at Liberty Court mourn her loss. She is survived by son Terry (&Karen) Lewis of Ames, Iowa, son Dean (& Joan) Lewis of Panama City, Florida, daughter Julia (& Randy) Kleeman of Lincoln, Nebraska, Tina Gallagher (& Bob Cunningham) of Dixon, Illinois, Kevin Lewis of Los Angeles, California, 11 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, brother William Parris, and daughter Kathy Prock. Funeral services will be held Friday, June 2, 2017, at 10:30 A.M. in the Bates Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa with Reverend Del Bittner officiating. Burial will be in Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa. Visitation will begin Thursday, June 1, 2017, after 1 P.M. in the Bates Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa with the family present at the funeral chapel Thursday from 6 to 8 P.M. to greet friends and relatives. Because of the outstanding and loving care that Maxine and her family received in her final hours, the family requests that in lieu of flowers a donation be made in Maxine’s name to The Serenity Hospice & Home, 1658 S. Illinois Route 2, PO box 462, Oregon, IL. 61061.