Mary Maxine Thorton Pfannenstiel, 79, died on Thursday, January 1, 2015 at the Good Samaritan Center of Hays, Kansas, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
She was born March 10, 1935, in Bonaparte, Iowa and later moved to Hays, Kansas, where she attended Hays High School. On July 18, 1953 she married Marvin M. Pfannenstiel, the love of her life.
A lifelong homemaker, Maxine also loved children. She ran a daycare center for 35 years where she loved and cared for hundreds of children. After her retirement in 2000 she volunteered at Holy Family Elementary School. She was also a member and volunteer of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church.
“Max” was known for her kind heart, for her sugar cookies, for always going just a little bit overboard with Christmas presents and for being her family’s rock.
Survivors include Marvin Pfannenstiel, her husband of 61 years; two daughters, Sheri and Chuck Walters of Arvada, Colorado and Carla and Charles Giebler of Hays; two sons, Mike Pfannenstiel of Mountain Home, Arkansas and Pat and Peggy Pfannenstiel of Lawrence, Kansas; seven grandchildren, Michael Walters, Michelle Hazlewood, Jessica Schwarte, Christa Weigel, Curtis Giebler, Brianne Pfannenstiel and Jake Pfannenstiel; six great grandchildren; and two stepsisters, Pat Johnson and Donna Weaverling and her husband Aven.
She is preceded in death by her parents Tom and Edith Pugh, and Bert and Vi Corsbie.
Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on Monday, January 5, 2014 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 1805 Vine Street. Burial will be in the St. Joseph Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 8:00 on Sunday at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine, and from 9:00 am until service time on Monday at the church. A rosary will be recited at 6:30 pm followed by a parish vigil service at 7:00 pm, both on Sunday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to Holy Family Elementary School, Hospice of Hays Medical Center, or to the Hays Good Samaritan Society, in care of the funeral home.
Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com.