Maxine Allen was born on September 30, 1936 to Chester William and Mary Frances (Ennis) Allen in Harrisonville, MO. She started school in Yates City, IL and graduated from the same school district in 1953 at the age of 16; she lived in five different school districts throughout MO and IL. Her senior class trip took them to Washington D.C., New York, and through Pennsylvania. Their class spent the four years of high school doing fundraisers for the trip and each only had to pay for their food. After graduating high school, Maxine started her first job in Galesburg, IL at a bank. She and her family then moved to El Dorado Springs, MO where she worked at the Tri County State Bank until she was the bank teller who was robbed. During this same period, she also worked at the drive-in theater in El Dorado Springs, part time.

After the robbery, Maxine moved to Springfield, MO and changed occupations into the insurance industry. She worked at Burge Hospital in the Insurance Department and continued through the name change of the hospital to Lester E. Cox Medical Center. She left Cox and went to Blue Cross Blue Shield of MO where she remained until retirement 24 ½ years later. She worked in many departments and positions at Blue Cross and gained a plethora of friends throughout that time. At her retirement party she was presented with a hot air balloon ride from her friends and enjoyed that trip very much. After retirement, Maxine went to work part time for Burly R Jenkins Group, (still insurance related) for about 10 years and then officially retired.

Maxine was a member of the El Dorado Springs UMC and was saved in 1959. She transferred her membership to Grace UMC in Springfield, MO. She was a member of the Genealogical Society of Springfield and traced her family tree back to the 1600’s. She traveled a lot during her life, seeing Graceland, Galveston, TX, Arizona, Dogpatch and Hot Springs, AR, Reno, NV, Las Vegas and Jamaica. She enjoyed day trips to Oklahoma City for the horse races and to a few places in MS and MO for gambling excursions.

Maxine was preceded in death by her parents, Chester and Mary Allen; two sisters, Marie Irons and Rhea Smith; as well as cousins, Shirley Swearingen, Ed Allen and Ray Allen. She is survived by her nieces and nephews, Debra Carraway, TX; Bill Willet and his wife Donna, East Peoria, IL; Randy Fox and his wife Jeanne, Willard, MO; Teri Tesdall and her husband Bruce, TN; Richard Irons and his wife Barb, East Peoria, IL; Nancy Smith, Springfield, MO; Jim Smith and his wife Cheryl, Nevada, MO. Many great nieces and nephews, her brother in law Glen Smith, Osceola, MO; cousins, Ron Allen, Kansas City, MO; Linda Mitchell, Springfield, MO; Charles Allen, Clinton, MO; Larry Allen, IL; Betty McClure, IL and a host of friends.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 p.m. Thursday June 16, 2016 in Herman H. Lohmeyer Funeral Home, 500 E. Walnut St. Visitation will be an hour before the service starting at 11:00 a.m. Thursday. Interment will be in the El Dorado Springs, MO cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Ozarks Food Harvest or Springfield Victory Mission.

Permanent online condolences, stories and photos may be shared at www.hhlohmeyer.com.