Maxine Gene Wilson

Maxine Gene Stevenson was born May 4, 1921 in Mt. Vernon, Washington to James P. and Emma Stevenson. She was the fourth of 5 children. Her childhood was spent in the Burlington area where her father was a dairyman and a businessman. At the beginning of the depression, her family moved to Yakima, Washington, when Maxine was in 3rd grade. She attended Franklin Jr. High and Yakima Senior High School. She earned many awards for attendance -never tardy or absent from school from 1930 to 1935. After graduating from high school in 1939, she attended business school in Yakima and then moved to Olympia to work in the state offices as a clerk to save money for nursing school.

In 1942, Maxine entered Tacoma General Hospital School of Nursing. She was known as “Stevie” in school and graduated in September of 1945. In 1944, her brother, Marcus, asked Maxine to buy a bible for his best navy buddy named “Willie”. She met “Willie”, Cecil E Wilson, in 1945 when her brother , Marcus, brought his navy buddy home for shore leave. They were married June 20th, 1946.

They began their married life in Tacoma where Cecil drove delivery trucks and Maxine worked as a nurse. Children Patricia, Joyce and Michael were all born in Tacoma. The Wilson family settled in Sumner on a 5 acre farm where Maxine continued to work hard as a mom, nurse and now part-time farmer’s wife.

In 1960 the family moved to a farm west of Chehalis, Washington to the community of Curtis. Maxine worked briefly at St. Helen’s Hospital then was hired as the office nurse for Dr. Wayne Smith. There she worked for 17 years and was a beloved nurse and friend to many. Maxine served faithfully in the Boistfort Community Church. After Willie, her sweetheart of 53 years, died in 2003, she moved to Olympia, Washington. There while living with her daughter and son-in-law, Pat and Ed Born, she called Mt. View Church of the Nazarene her home. Maxine loved Jesus Christ with all her heart and was a diligent student of the Bible. Any who knew her would be pointed to the Word of God for life’s answers and direction.

She left a legacy of faithfulness to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Maxine went to see the Lord December 17th, 2014. She is survived by Patricia and Edward Born, Robert and Joyce Bonner, Michael Wilson, 12 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband Cecil Wilson and daughter-in-law, Lorine “Renie” Wilson.