Maxine Vasen

Maxine Ebeling was born on February 12, 1935, to Meta and Henry Ebeling who farmed in Petersburg, in Jackson County, Minnesota. When Henry retired from farming, the Ebelings moved to the nearby town of Jackson, and Max started going to school there where, in 6th grade, she met Steve Vasen and life was never the same!

After graduation from Jackson High, Max started at St. Olaf where she stayed for a year before transferring to Wheaton College to be near Steve.

Maxine graduated from Wheaton in 1957 and started teaching school. She and Steve married in 1958 and she continued to teach while Steve's job with General Motors took them from Cicero, Illinois, to Indianapolis, Indiana, to Leonia, New Jersey, and eventually to the Atlanta area in December of 1967. This is when they started attending Chapel Woods Presbyterian Church and forged their unforgettable friendship with Charles and Alice McGowan and their family.

Stevie joined the family in July 1963 and then Sarah in August of 1967 while the family lived in New Jersey. Motherhood was a full-time job chasing around Stevie and Sarah. Eventually they moved closer to downtown Atlanta.

In May of 1974, they started going down to Sanibel which began many years of time spent there, often visited by friends and family. Max and Steve enjoyed their life together, including travel and knowing their way around the Atlanta restaurant scene!

Max was involved in book clubs as well as participating in activities with WIC (Women in the Church). She stayed sharp by doing the crossword puzzle every day, and she enjoyed reading and spending time with her friends and family.

On Saturday, Maxine was reunited with the love of her life, Steve, as well as with Stevie, her sisters, and her parents. As they all walk together in the Light of the Lord, we give thanks for Maxine's life. May her memory be eternal.